Focus moves to aides of Maqbool

The Hyderabad links of alleged Indian Mujahideen operative Sayed Maqbool continue to baffle the investigators who have now learnt that he and Syed Viqaruddin of Tehreek Galba-e-Islam stayed together for several days, during which they planned to carry out subversive activities.
Focus moves to aides of Maqbool

The Hyderabad links of alleged Indian Mujahideen (IM) operative Sayed Maqbool continue to baffle the investigators who have now learnt that he and Syed Viqaruddin, self-styled commander of the fundamentalist outfit Tehreek Galba-e-Islam (TGI) stayed together for several days, during which they  planned to carry out subversive activities.

This line of investigation, which is being described by detectives as ‘’still open,’’ is now focussed on the linkages between Maqbool and Viqar and some of their assocites in Nanded and Aurangabad in Maharashtra. The police are all set to question Viqar, who is lodged in jail here.

Sources in the investigation disclosed to Express that Maqbool met Viqar sometime after the Mecca Masjid bomb blast on May 18, 2007. ‘’Both stayed together for several days and the accommodation was arranged by Viqar. This input came to light during Maqbool’s interrogation after his arrest in October last year,’’ they said.

It is learnt that the police did not bother much about this input as Viqar was already in jail when Maqbool was arrested. Viqar is accused of shooting to death a police constable and a Home Guard on the anniversary of the Mecca Masjid blast.

Cops Shift Focus to Maqbool Associates

He also injured several policemen in a series of shootings and is suspected to have links with terror groups in Pakistan, though not direct. Investigators, who are still checking whether local operatives planted the IEDs in Dilsukhnagar, have so far not been able to lay their hands on anyone. While they are checking the mobile phone locations of the suspects around the time the blasts took place, nothing concrete has come out.

Investigators are also focussing on associates of Maqbool and Viqar in Nanded and Aurangabad belts. ‘’Some of their associates are in jail and we will be questioning each one of them.  There are some associates of theirs who are out and we are working out the leads,’’ sources said. On the other hand, CCTV footage did not appear to be of much help.

‘’We have tried to expand the footage to get at least a picture of the suspects but experts said the images will only get blurred further. We checked up with the Mumbai police to get some experts, but they conveyed to us that they faced a similar situation when blasts took place in Zaveri Bazar in Mumbai in July 2011,’’ they said. A senior police officer said that at the moment, the investigation is revolving around Maqbool, Viqar and their associates.  A team will be visiting Nanded and Aurangabad shortly.

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