New Delhi ,Feb. 14: Indian intelligence agencies suspect that alleged Indian Mujahideen operative Mohsin Choudhary, wanted in connection with the Ahmedabad and Delhi serial blasts, masterminded Saturday’s bomb blast in Pune. Intelligence sources said there are reports that Mohsin recently visited Pune and reconnoitred several important places in the city. The sources added that Mohsin was the main operative of the IM’s west zone group and was in regular touch with other operatives of militant outfits. The investigating agencies are trying to gather more details about the recent movements of Mohsin Choudhary.
Saturday’s bomb blast occurred in an area also visited by David Coleman Headley, the US citizen of Pakistani origin who is in custody for alleged links with the Lashkar-e-Tayyaba. Sources said Indian agencies are trying to confirm the authenticity of unconfirmed reports that Mohsin assisted Headley in his reconnaissance of important places in Pune. There is every possibility that the LeT might have used IM operatives based in Pune to cause blasts in the German Bakery lane in the city, the sources said. Headley had reportedly stayed at Hotel Survya Villa in German Bakery Lane when he visited Pune in March 2009.“Pune has been the target of the terrorists’ plans. This was first revealed by Sohail Shaikh, a suspected LeT member arrested on July 25, 2006 in connection with the 7/11 Mumbai blasts. He is reportedly a resident of Bhimpura near Pune Camp, and was trained to handle explosives by a terror module in Pakistan in 2003,” the sources said, adding that he was closely linked to Pakistan’s ISI. “Prior to this, the presence of the LeT in the city was established when three youth were arrested from Pune Cantonment and Kondhwa in June 2002 in connection with the 1993 Mulund blasts,” the sources added.“There are confirmed reports that David Headley and Tahawwur Rana had received logistical support from IM operatives while they were in India. There are inputs that Mohsin was assigned the job to cause blasts in Pune by Headley and Pak-based LeT handlers. The security agencies are investigating it,” the sources said, adding that suspected IM militant Shahzad Ahmad Farouqi, recently arrested in Azamgarh in connection with the September 13, 2008 Delhi blasts, may be questioned by the security agencies in connection with the Pune blast.The intelligence agencies are also investigating whether the Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami is linked to the Pune blast. Available inputs indicate that HuJI modules are still active in certain remote areas of Pune, the sources said, adding that Headley reportedly also contacted some HuJI operatives during his Pune visit.
Pramod Kumar