‘Baig’s first mention in confession of 2006 arms haul case accused’

IO Satav deposes, says suspicions confirmed after Baig's arrest.

Deposing in the 2010 German Bakery blast case, ACP Vinod Satav on Monday told the court how the needle of suspicion pointed at Mirza Himayat Baig for the first time from a confessional statement of one of the accused in the Aurangabad arms haul case of 2006. He told the court that only after Baig's arrest in September 2010 was his involvement in the blast case confirmed.

Satav, who is now with the Pune police crime branch, was posted at the Pune ATS when he was handed over the investigation into the February 13, 2010 German Bakery blast.

In his deposition, Satav told the court that ATS teams started looking at earlier terror cases to find clues to the Bakery blast. He said Baig's name had cropped up in a confessional statement of Samad Khan arrested in the 2006 Aurangabad arms haul case.

Satav said. "Baig was also an accused in a case registered in 2008 under sections of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act." Satav told the court how Baig-who is a resident of Udgir in Latur district-was arrested after a trap was laid in Pune and how he was immediately taken to his house in Udgir, where explosives were recovered. He was brought back to Pune and remanded in police custody, Satav told the court.

He said, "On September 7, 2010 we got information from our senior officer that Baig was coming to Pulgate Bus stand (in Pune). We arrested him after laying a trap. In the subsequent probe it was confirmed Baig was involved in the German Bakery blast case." Satav is, however, yet to explain to the court how exactly had Baig's involvement in the German Bakery blast been verified.

Satav's examination by special public prosecutor Raja Thakre will continue on Tuesday and this will be followed by his cross-examination by defence lawyer A Rehman.

... contd.

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