A day after this newspaper reported how the Lashkar-e-Tayyaba module, responsible for the Pune German Bakery blast was planning attacks on military installations in Nashik, the police said that a massive combing and beefing up operation has begun. “We are in the process of reviewing the security measures along with the Army
officials. This will be done in order to regularise the loopholes. Security of vital places will be beefed up,” V.D. Misra, commissioner of police, Nashik said.
Apart from this, the police is also in the process of verifying the credentials of all persons living in rented homes across the city.
Police investigations have revealed that many people have not furnished mandatory details about their tenants. A special squad comprising a police sub-inspector (PSI) and three constables are scrutinising the details of the persons living on rent. Incidentally, the Nashik police on Thursday arrested Gangubai Gulve (50), the owner of the room that was rented by German Bakery blast accused Lal Baba Mohammed Hussain Fareed alias Bilal.
“The owner has five other rooms, but the details of the tenants were not furnished to the police. Nobody had an inkling about his sinister plans,” said S.A. Mahajan, senior police inspector of the Gangapur police, who arrested Gulve. Bilal lived in Nashik for a period of three months, before the German bakery blast and also procured a driving licence under a fictitious name, Amir Malik Parekh. Investigations revealed that he had conducted recce of important locations such as the Artillery Centre in Deolali, the Maharashtra Police Academy, Bhonsala Military School, Nashik Police Commissionerate and the Central Bus Stop.
The police is investigating whether other persons were indoctrinated by Bilal, during his stay in Nashik. “So far, we have not come across any suspicion persons. However, the crime branch and the special branch are working on it,” added Mr Misra.