The Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) of the city police on Thursday arrested four more persons in connection with the July 26 Ahmedabad serial blasts. While three of the accused — Naved Kadri, Ayas Saiyed and Javed Sheikh — are from Ahmedabad, the fourth —Abbas Sameja — is from Bhuj. With this, the total number of accused arrested in the case has gone up to 19.

“Kadri, Saiyed, Sheikh and Sameja were arrested following leads obtained during interrogation of the accused arrested earlier,” Joint Commissioner of Police Ashish Bhatia said. All four are likely to be produced before a city court on Friday for seeking police remand for them.

Preliminary investigations reveal that a resident of Ahmedabad, Vatva-based Saiyed was in constant touch with one of the prime accused Qayamuddin (who is at large). While Saiyed is accused of doing recce of the place with Qayamuddin and planting the cycle bomb that exploded near Mayur restaurant in Naroda gam area, the other three are accused of conspiracy.

According to DCB officials, Bhuj-based Sameja is an active member of SIMI and was in constant touch with Zahid Sheikh and Safdar Nagori. Kadri, another active SIMI worker, was present during the planning for the serial blasts in Juhapura. Sheikh had attended the SIMI meeting held in Kerala.