Maharashtra ATS nabs IM operative Afzal Usmani

Maharashtra Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) chief Rakesh Maria on Monday confirmed the arrest of Indian Mujahideen (IM) terror accused Afzal Mutalib Usmani, and said he and his nephew Javed Khan would be produced before a court today.

Earlier on September 20, Usmani, who is accused in the 2008 Ahmedabad serial bomb blasts, had escaped from the special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court.

"We have arrested Afzal Usmani. The Director General of Police (DGP) Maharashtra and Commissioner of Police (CP) Mumbai have transferred the escape of custody case to ATS. We have taken over the investigation and we will be producing Usmani. We have also arrested Javed Khan. Both of them will be produced in the court today," Maria told media here today.

Usmani was nabbed yesterday morning outside the Rupaidiha railway station near the Indo-Nepal border.

The ATS had earlier arrested and interrogated Javed Khan, who revealed Usmani's location in Tatera village in Bahraich District of Uttar Pradesh.

"The ATS was conducting parallel investigations. On the evening of October 25, we received information that Afzal's nephew Javed Khan had come to Mumbai for some work pertaining to Usmani," he said.

"On October 25 night, we nabbed Javed, and upon questioning, we were informed that Afzal Usmani is hiding in village Tatera in Bahraich District of Uttar Pradesh," he added.

Maria said that the ATS team with the help of Bahraich police reached Tatera, but Usmani had left Tatera and was on his way to the border to enter Nepal.

"The ATS along with Bahraich police succeeded in nabbing Usmani early morning on October 27 at 3:30 a.m outside Rupaidiha railway station which is on the Indo-Nepal border," he added.