Nepal police arrest man over links to Mumbai blasts

A Nepali man has been arrested by the Kathmandu police for his alleged involvement in the July 13 Mumbai blasts, a local daily claimed today. Utpal Parashar reports.

Updated on: Jul 26, 2011, 19:06:27 IST

Hindustan Times | By Utpal Parashar, Kathmandu

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A Nepali man has been arrested by the Kathmandu police for his alleged involvement in the July 13 Mumbai blasts, a local daily claimed on Tuesday.

A report in Gorkhapatra, a government-run daily, stated that Mohammad Zahir who hails from Sarlahi district in the Terai region bordering India was arrested by an anti-terrorism cell.

Tough the police have termed the report as baseless and denied having made any arrest in connection with the Mumbai blast, unofficial sources say that the incident has been kept under wraps.

Based on intelligence inputs, the person believed to be in his 40s was arrested on July 15, two days after the serial blasts from his rented apartment in Baluwatar, a posh locality in the capital that houses the prime minister’s residence.

Quoting unidentified police officials, the report says that Zahir was nabbed after he had talked about the Mumbai blasts over mobile phone and sent SMSs on the incident.

Although the report mentions that Zahir has been kept in police custody in Kathmandu, police officials here are giving contradictory statements.

Kathmandu police chief Kedar Rijal told HT that no person called Mohammad Zahir has been arrested, but Nepal Police spokesperson Navaraj Dhakal admitted that such an arrest has been made.

“The police have arrested a person by that name, but it was not in connection with the Mumbai blasts. He was placed under arrest for creating public nuisance,” Dhakal told HT.

Due to absence of an extradition treaty between both nations, criminals wanted in India are secretly handed over by Nepal to Indian authorities who in turn show that the arrest was made near the Indo-Nepal border.

In the past several militants operating in north-east were nabbed in Nepal and handed over to Indian officials. The same modus operandi may be used in this case if any Mumbai blast suspect has been arrested.

India has been insisting on Nepal signing a new extradition treaty since 2005, but political instability in the Himalayan nation has delayed its signing.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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