Ali is charged with allowing other co-accused to use his Govandi residence for assembling the bombs between July 8 and July 10. The perpetrators of the blasts were also trying to target the Bombay Stock Exchange, World Trade Centre and shopping malls in Mumbai, Ali says. But that was also not feasible due to tight security.

In his 34-page confession, recorded by Deputy commissioner of police, Dattatray Karale, Ali reveals his background as a Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) worker and mentions how he went for arms training in Pakistan through Riyaz Bhatkal in February 2003.

In January 2006, he started selling Tilismi Moti (a placebo given to children to prevent tooth problems) in Sabu Siddiqui hospital, Dongri. He was introduced to prime accused Faisal Sheikh by co-accused Dr Tanvir Ansari. Ali soon started participating in the meetings organised by Faisal in his Bandra residence where he discussed this big jehadi operation.

“In one such meeting at Hotel Lucky in Bandra in April 2006 where Naved Khan, Zameer Shaikh, Sohail Shaikh and Ehteshaam Siddiqui were present, Faisal told the group: ‘A lot of Muslims lost their lives during the Gujarat riots.That’s why we should target the Gujaratis. The target of local trains is perfect. The first class compartment of the Western railways is always full of Gujaratis in the evening’, “ Ali says

“Faisal also told us that he has got the plan finalised by Azam Cheema, the LeT commander,” Ali says. It was decided that Mohammed Ali’s house would be used for bomb-making. He sent his family and his brother’s family to a relative’s house at Rafiq Nagar in Govandi on July 7. On July 8, Faisal, Naved, Mohammed Sajid, Sohail Shaikh (a Pakistani resident) and another Pakistani assembled in his house with the 15 kg of RDX brought in by a Pakistani, Ehsanullah. The bombs were made by July 10.