The investigators of the July 13 Mumbai triple blasts are now probing whether it was Al Qaeda that funded the attack, sources said. Earlier, the police had claimed that arrested Indian Mujahideen (IM) top cadre Haroon Naik, who arranged for the hawala money used in the blasts, received terror training from LeT, and was closely connected to Al Qaeda since 2001.
The police is now investigating his contacts in Saudi Arabia too from where he had arranged the funds.
The ATS had earlier claimed that Naik was inspired by a lecture of Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden in Pakistan and went to outskirts of Kandahar to be trained by Al Qaeda.
“Naik, a key member of the planning committee of the IM was living in the guise of working at a construction company in Saudi Arabia. He was however, a top member of the IM and had arranged for the funds used for the July 13 blasts. The investigators are now looking into whether Naik had received funds from Al Qaeeda because of his proximity to the terror outfit,” said a source.