According to a source, Hakim had reportedly bought nearly 20,000 ball bearings from a shop in Delhi’s Chandni Chowk, which were used in the Jaipur blasts. The source said Atif wanted Hakim to source the ball bearings from Azamgarh to throw investigators off track. Hakim also arranged funds for Atif Ameen and his operations, the source said. He would be produced in a city court on Monday for further custody.

Interestingly, a team of Mumbai ATS had also arrived in Lucknow today seeking Hakim’s remand but they did not proceed with the application before the court. The team would apply before the Delhi court, it was informed.

After Amir Talha, Hakim is the second major arrest of the serial blasts suspects. The Mumbai ATS had arrested, Talha, another Azamgarh youth from Nagpur station on December 2. Talha, an IM suspects, had allegedly fled Batla House during the encounter. He had mentioned Hakim’s name during interrogation and Mumbai Police had also retrieved e-mails exchanged between the two.

Additional Director General (ADG), Law & Order, Brij Lal said Hakim’s name figured during interrogation of another suspect, Saif, arrested during the Batla House encounter. Hakim had played a vital role in the conspiracy and placing bombs at several places in Delhi on September 13, said the ADG.