Police custody of alleged IM operative extended till May 21

Quateel has been accused of plotting to plant a bomb in the popular Dagdusheth Halwai Ganapati Temple in Pune.

Judicial Magistrate (First Class) S S Bose extended his police custody. During the hearing, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) claimed they had brought out the links between Quateel, terror group Laskar-E-Taiba and Pakistan. They further claimed Quateel had prepared the bomb with the help of Yasin Bhatkal, the mastermind of the 13/7 Mumbai blasts.

According to the ATS, the accused had planned to plant a bomb at the famous Dagdusheth temple on February 13, 2010. But the plan had failed as a flower vendor outside the temple had refused to keep a bag that allegedly carried the bomb.

The ATS said in its statement that they had recorded the statement of the flower vendor.

Hailing from Darbhanga in Bihar, he has been arrested on the charges of criminal conspiracy, promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, forging documents and making explosives under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.