Pune blasts accused recced Dilsukhnagar in July 2012: police

Two of the suspects arrested by the Delhi Police Special Cell in connection with the low-intensity blasts in Pune on August 1 last year, Sayed Maqbool and Imran Khan, both from Nanded district, had reportedly recced Dilsukhnagar, Begum Bazar and Abids in Hyderabad on a motorcycle some time in July 2012, apparently on the instructions of Indian Mujahideen (IM) co-founder Riyaz Bhatkal.

The Special Cell had earlier arrested four suspects — Asad Khan from Aurangabad, Imran Khan from Nanded, Sayed Feroz from Pune and Landge Irfan Mustafa from Ahmednagar — in connection with the Pune blasts. Their interrogation had led to the arrest of Sayed Maqbool, of Dharmabad in Nanded district.

"The interrogation of the accused had revealed that Sayed Maqbool and Imran Khan had done a recce of some areas in Hyderabad about 15 days before the Pune blasts. This was done on the instructions of Riyaz Bhatkal. Though Bhatkal had told them to do a recce, he had not given specific locations. The areas were chosen by the two. They went around the city on a bike," S N Srivastava, Special Commissioner, Delhi Police Special Cell, told The Indian Express.

In a press release issued on October 26, after Maqbool's arrest, the Delhi Police said that "Maqbool helped Imran in doing a recce of Dilsukhnagar, Begum Bazar and Abids in Hyderabad on a motorcycle."

Maharashtra ATS sources said: "Both Maqbool and Imran are from Nanded district, which is on the Maharashtra-Andhra Pradesh border. Imran visited Hyderabad regularly."

According to the Delhi Police, Maqbool met Imran through a common friend. Imran then introduced Maqbool to Asad and Irfan. Maqbool is alleged to have taught them how to make a bomb by using urea, diesel and firecracker powder at Asad's farmhouse in Aurangabad.

The Delhi Police had said that Imran also introduced Maqbool to the Bhatkal brothers in April 2012.

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