An Indian Mujahideen (IM) member and Delhi blast accused,Shehzad alias Pappu,is believed to have told investigators of the Delhi Police that he knew that Kanpur was a target but was unaware of the Varanasi operation or the names of those who may have been involved in carrying out Tuesdays blast in the temple town. A Delhi Police team questioned Shehzad and Salman,another IM member and Delhi blast accused,both lodged in Tihar jail,on Wednesday to get clues on the sleeper cells which could have been used in the Varanasi blast. Shehzad says he was only aware of the IMs plan to plant bombs in Kanpur. He denies having any knowledge about attacking the Ganga ghat in Varanasi, said a source. After the 2008 Delhi blasts,Salman and Shehzad had escaped to Uttar Pradesh and had made contact with Dr Shahnawaz suspected to be the mastermind of Tuesdays blast and sleeper cells of the group in that state. Junaid,another IM member wanted in the Delhi blast,had escaped from Batla House on September 19,2008,and investigators suspect that he too could be involved in the Varanasi blast. In fact,the Delhi Police,simultaneously investigating the September 19,2010 Jama Masjid firing attack on a couple of foreigners by IM,suspect that Junaid knows all the sleeper cells in Uttar Pradesh and he could be behind both the attacks (Jama Masjid and Varanasi). A source said,It looks like the work of same module. We will be going to Varanasi on Friday to help UP ATS team. Meanwhile,sources said several teams of the UP Anti-Terrorism Squad are raiding places in Azamgarh to get clues about the bombers and relatives of Dr Shahnawaz (who is hiding in Dubai after the Delhi serial blasts). In fact,three persons have been detained for questioning there by UP ATS.
