In a move that will now enable the Mumbai Police Crime Branch to gather evidence on the two suspects recently arrested in Italy in connection with their alleged role in the 26/11 terror attack, a Metropolitan Court in the city has ordered a letter rogatory to be forwarded to the Italian court concerned, seeking details of investigations carried out there.

The two suspects, a father-son duo — Mohammad Yaqub Janjua, 60, and Aamer Yaqub Janjua, 31, were arrested in the Italian city of Brescia last week. The two allegedly transferred US$229 in the name of one Javed Iqbal from Madina Trading Company in Brescia to New Jersey-based Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service provider Callphonex through Western Union money transfer. The Callphonex VoIP platform was used by the 26/11 attackers to communicate with their handlers in Pakistan.

After keeping a watch on the suspects’ movements for a long time, the Italian police nabbed the two after they returned from Pakistan, where they had gone soon after the Mumbai attack.

Metropolitan magistrate VV Bhambarde ordered the letter rogatory to be sent to the judicial magistrate in Italy through diplomatic channels under Section 166A of the Criminal Procedure Code. The Mumbai Crime Branch has sent a list of queries related to the investigation.

A similar procedure was followed when the Crime Branch wanted details of the investigations carried out by the FBI into the 26/11 attack, and needed assistance with technical evidence. Two FBI officers and three US citizens have deposed in the 26/11 trial.

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