Tunda planted bomb in Amritsar: Delhi Police

Alleged Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist Abdul Karim Tunda had planted a bomb in Amritsar in 2009 on the direction of Babbar Khalsa Internation (BKI) operatives, Delhi Police said Wednesday.

Tunda, who is in four days' police custody, said he placed a 10 kg explosive near Hindu Dhaba in Amritsar in December 2009. However, Punjab Police recovered the explosive and arrested three people.

"The explosive was brought from Pakistan through Nepal," said a police officer.

Iqbal Kana, a Pakistan-based terrorist and Tunda's associate in dealing in fake Indian currency, had given the consignment of explosives to Tunda, who then gave it to LeT operatives in India to use, police said.

Police claimed that Pakistani Intelligence Service (ISI) and terrorists groups like BKI had used Tunda's network to execute their plans in India. His involvement surfaced in 21 terror bombing cases in Delhi between 1993 and 1998.

Tunda, who was arrested Aug 16 in Uttarakhand's Banbasa area close to the Nepal border when he was trying to enter India, claimed that he sent a consignment of explosives to Delhi before the Commonwealth Games 2010 on BKI member Ratandeep Singh's direction.

BKI is a Khalistani militant organisation based in India. However, its operatives work from Pakistan and west-Asian countries.

Tunda also told investigators that his last meeting with underworld don Dawood Ibrahim was in 2002 in Pakistan, after a list of wanted terrorists and criminals was given by India to Pakistan.

Since, 1994 he was in regular touch with Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, who is wanted in India for the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.

Punjab Police Wednesday interrogated Tunda to find out his involvements in other bombings in Punjab during the 1980s and 1990s. Tunda is in four days custody of Delhi Police.