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Congress ex-MLA admits meeting two IM terrorists
Karn Pratap Singh | New Delhi
Shahzad, Janaid received money from him after escaping from Batla encounter
The Special Cell of Delhi Police has questioned a former Congress MLA and a former Samajwadi Party MP regarding their names cropping up during the interrogation of Shahzad, an IM operative who was arrested in connection with the September 13, 2008 Delhi serial blasts. While the former Congress MLA has accepted that he had met two Indian Mujahideen terrorists — Shahzad and Janaid —after the duo escaped during an encounter from L-18 flat at Batla House on September 19, 2008; the Samajwadi MP has outright denied having met either of them.
Police sources said that the special cell had questioned former Samajwadi Party MP Abu Azmi and former Congress MLA Abdus Salam last week after Shahzad, the Indian Mujahideen terrorist arrested in connection with Delhi serial blasts, told his interrogators that the two politicians had helped him financially to escape from the police after the Batla House encounter. Shahzad was arrested by the Uttar Pradesh ATS on February 2 from Azamgarh.
According to a source in Special Cell, while Azmi has outright denied having met Shahzad, he has also told the police that he never offers financial assistance of more than Rs 1,000 to anyone. Shahzad had told the investigators that he had received a financial help of Rs 8,000 from Azmi who represents Mankhurd, Shivaji Nagar legislative seat in Mumbai. Though Azmi was not available for his comments, the former congress MP admitted to providing financial support to the terrorists.
Speaking with The Pioneer, the former Congress MLA from Mubarakpur constituency in Azamgarh, Abdus Salam admitted that both Junaid and Shahzad had met him at his residence in Noida and sought monetary help soon after they escaped from Batla House following an encounter. Salam claimed that Junaid alias Haris, whom he knew, came to his flat in Saba Apartments in Noida, Sector 44, around 4:30 pm on September 19, 2008 along with another person, but added that he was not aware that they were involved in the blasts or the shootout at Batla House.
“Haris along with his friend, whom I had not met in the past, came to my residence and told me that he and his two friends wanted to visit their village in Azamgarh, but had no money to travel. Since I knew Haris, I gave Junaid alias Haris about Rs 1,500 and asked him to board Kaifiyat Express. I knew Haris (Junaid), as he is the nephew of my friend. He used to call me uncle,” said Salam, adding that he remembers that Junaid had told him that his friend’s name was Pappu.
According to Salam, a team of Special Cell had visited his residence on March 4 this year and told him that Shahzad has revealed during interrogation that he had helped him financially. Shahzad, police sources had earlier said, told his interrogators after his arrest on February 1 that he and Junaid had gone to the house of a former MLA from whom they got some money to travel. Police had not named the politician. Sources had said that Shahzad had named three politicians, including Abu Azmi, who provided them money.
Salam claimed that three days after the Batla House encounter, he saw the picture of Junaid in newspapers with police claiming that he is on the run in connection with the serial blasts case. Asked whether he informed the police about Junaid taking money from him, Salam said that he did not. “I did not inform the police, but I called up his father and told him that he had taken money from him. I also asked him to surrender his son before the police,” he claimed.
Meanwhile, Delhi Police is planning to confront the arrested members of IM with one another to verify their claims about their suspected role in the 2008 Delhi serial blasts. “Since all the arrested members are in Delhi, they will be confronted with one another. The conspiracy to carry out the attack was hatched soon after the Jaipur serial blasts and the module to execute the deadly plan was set up by Riyaz Bhatkal and Amir Raza who directed Atif Ameen, the mastermind of the Delhi serial blast who was gunned down in Batla House encounter. Efforts are on to nab the ten IM terrorists who are wanted by Delhi Police in connection with the 2008 Delhi serial blasts. The investigators are also questioning Salman Ahmad, the IM operative involved in the Delhi blast conspiracy who was arrested recently by the UP ATS.
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