Absconding Railway staffer Taj was near Panipat, cellphone records show: police

The police have confirmed this by checking the mobile phone records of Mohammad, who has been missing. His wife Saira Bano has been arrested.

A resident of Rampura basti in Bikaner, Taj, a Railway employee, is also suspected to have smuggled out diesel used by the Railways. Police have recovered about 50 bottles of what they believe to be combustible fluid, mainly a mixture of kerosene and diesel from his house. It is believed that these bottles are similar to those found on the Samjhauta Express, though the police are waiting for forensic reports to confirm this.

“Forensic tests are on and we will send the results to the Haryana police directly. Meanwhile, we launched on Friday a search for Taj whose mobile records show that he was somewhere near Panipat on Sunday,” IG ( Bikaner Range) Laxman Meena told The Indian Express. The Bikaner Police, in a joint operation with the Military Intelligence team, had raided Taj’s residence on Thursday and arrested Saira and Salman Ahmed. Salman Ahmed’s face has a striking resemblance to one of the two sketches of the prime suspects released by the Haryana Police.

According to the police, Salman who was a frequent visitor to the couple’s house, was in Bikaner for the past one month. He, they suspect, was on the train and returned to Bikaner.

As Taj’s mobile records also shown his presence near the blast site, the police are now investigating his and Saira’s role. “They are all suspects. Saira and Taj because of the diesel found in their house and their relationship with Salman,” said Meena.

Saira is in the custody of the Bikaner police and is being interrogated.

Sources in the police confirm that those detained include Taj’s colleagues in the Railways.

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