Exactly a week after the Mecca Masjid blast that killed 11 and injured dozens, Hyderabad Police today made the first arrest in the terror attack. Shoaib Jagirdar, a 39-year-old kerosene dealer, allegedly sold the explosives that were used in the three bombs, two of which failed to explode.

He was arrested in Jalna in central Maharashtra by Andhra police and Maharashtra’s Anti-Terrorism Squad Thursday afternoon, and brought to Hyderabad early this morning. Police here are hoping that the arrest brings them closer to the actual perpetrators of the attack.

Police officials here said they were acting on specific information regarding Shoaib when they went to Jalna near Aurangabad to arrest him. According to records, Jagirdar is a small-time motorcycle thief with cases against him in Aurangabad, Jalna and Nanded districts of Maharasthra. A case of theft was also registered against him in Hyderabad.

Police suspect that the explosive used in the blast had a mixture of black RDX and white RDX, but have no immediate lead how Jagirdar would have been involved in procuring the material. White RDX is used specifically for military purposes and has to be imported.

Police officials investigating the case say that they have gathered “various clues” to identify the bombers. The SIM card found in the bombs helped police to zero in on Shoaib. The SIM card led police to one Mohammed Shahid, who sells SIM cards in Jharkhand. He was detained and questioned by West Bengal police.

As today was the first Friday after the blast, police enforced strong security in the old city area of Hyderabad. The Rapid Action Force was deployed around the Mecca Masjid and Charminar since last week.

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