Prime accused in the 2008 serial bomb blasts in Ahmedabad and Indian Mujahidin (IM) terrorists Yasin Bhatkal and his accomplice Asadullah Akhatar alias Haddi on Friday were brought to the city by Ahmedabad Crime Branch (ACB) official on transfer warrant for further probe.
Confirming the development, Joint Commissioner of Police, Crime Branch JK Bhatt said that both the accused were with NIA and ACB have brought them to Ahmedabad after seeking permission of NIA court and Patiala court on transfer warrant.
The Ahmedabad crime branch has been seeking transfer warrant of these terrorists but had failed till date as Bhatkal and Haddi were undergoing trial in Dilsukhnagar blasts of December 2016. Both had been picked up from Indo-Nepal border by NIA in 2013.
Ahmedabad witnessed serial blasts on July 26, 2008, said Bhatt, adding that as many as 20 blasts had taken place and both of them had emerged as key conspirators. ACB have brought them in the city for detailed investigations about their local links as well as to know source of ammonium nitrate and other material used for bombs, he informed.
“Though he has said that initially equipment and material was brought and it is then that they carried out blasts, we would want to tie loose ends,” Bhatt said. The serial bomb blast that took place a day after Bengaluru blasts killed 56 and injured more than 200 in Ahmedabad. Simultaneously, over 21 bombs were also planted in diamond city of Surat that fortunately did not go off.