IM planned strikes during festivals: Police

Terror group Indian Mujahideen planned to carry out attacks in Delhi and other states during the upcoming festivals, a key IM operative arrested from Uttar Pradesh has revealed, police said Sunday.

Ajaz Sheikh, 27, was on the way to Delhi from Nepal when he was nabbed by Delhi Police and Uttar Pradesh Police in a joint operation near Saharanpur Railway station in western Uttar Pradesh Friday night.

"Sheikh said in his interrogation that he had been asked by his Pakistan-based handlers Yasin Bhatkal and Mohsin Chaudhary to reach the national capital via Lucknow, Muradabad and Saharanpur to avoid being traced by the agencies," said a police officer.

In Delhi, he had to wait for further orders from his handlers.

Sheikh, who was first tasked to assist Yasin in the execution of the February 2010 German Bakery bombings, is a technical expert who used to provide financial assistance to the other terrorists through Hawala transactions. He was supposed to provide money to the people who have planned to carry out terror strikes.

Earlier, he had provide Rs.1 lakh each to Yasin Bhatkal, Tehsin Akhtar, Assadullah Akhtar alias Haddi, and Waqas (all arrested) for carrying out terror strikes in various parts of the country, said the officer.

Another officer said the police were also investigating the people whom Sheikh had met during his journey from Nepal.

He had fled to Nepal after the arrest of Yaseen Bhatkal last year and was hiding there since then.