Admitted 2008 Delhi bomb blasts accused Salman to the Bangalore Anti-Terrorism Cell during interrogation

Chinnaswamy blast planned in Pakistan

Admitted 2008 Delhi bomb blasts accused Salman to the Bangalore Anti-Terrorism Cell during interrogation

Shocker: Gate No 12 of the Chinnaswamy stadium outside which the
bomb blast happened just a few minutes before an IPL match between
Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians. File pic

These revelations were made by 2008 Delhi blast accused Salman alias Chotu, who was arrested by the Delhi police.

According to a Bangalore Anti-Terrorism Cell (ATC) official, Ahmed Mohammed Siddibapa (now named as Yasin Bhatkal by police) and his local contacts executed the twin blasts.

Salman went to Nepal in 2009 to get a passport under the alias Ansari Mohammed Phahad, and flew to Pakistan. In Karachi, he met Riyaz Bhatkal and Mohsin Choudhary (a Hyderabad resident).

Salman was then introduced to ISI (Inter Services Intelligence) members and asked to undergo training in the PoK area.

Salman said that Riyaz told him that he is planning to bomb the stadium with the help of Yasin Bhatkal and his boys, and asked him for his help, an ATS official said. Riyaz and Mohsin had selected Bangalore as it is internationally recognised as the Indian Silicon City.

Bhatkal connection
Before his training, Salman went to Sharjah to meet Riyaz's brother Iqbal Bhatkal. Iqbal also said that Yasin Bhatkal and his boys would do the 'work' with the support of Moulana Hussain Shabbir Meheruddin Gangavali from Bhatkal town, who was then arrested by the Mumbai Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS).

Shahzad Ahmed alias Pappu (22), and Salman are said to have been a part of the 2008 serial blasts in Delhi's market places that killed more than 60 people. The ATC has also taken the custody of Moulana Hussain Shabbir Gangawli of Bhatkal, who was arrested by the Pune police in June.

Shahzad was an associate of Atif Amin, who was killed in the Batla house encounter last year. He had graduated from a flying school in Bangalore and knew the city well.

The ATC suspect that Shahzad had conducted a recee for the IPL blast. Salman, a Bachelor of Computer Applications (BCA) student, is also believed to be involved in the serial blasts in Gorakhpur, Varanasi Jaipur and Ahmedabad.

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