Dilsukhnagar twin blasts key conspirator honed computer skills in Banjara Hills

The NIA, which probed the case, arrested five persons including Ajaz Shaikh, who was A6 in the case. He honed computer skills in Banjara Hills.

The other arrested persons were a BPharmacy graduate Asadullah Akhtar alias Haddi (A2) of Uttar Pradesh, Zia ur Rahman alias Waqas alias Javed (A3) of Pakistan, Mohammed Tahseen Akhtar alias Hassan alias Monu (A4) of Bihar and Mohammed Ahmed Siddibapa alias Yasin Bhatkal alias Sharukh (A5) of Karnataka.

All of them were Indian Mujahideen (IM) operatives. On Tuesday, Telangana High Court upheld a trial court's verdict awarding death penalty to the five operatives.

Ajaz Shaikh procured SIM cards by creating fake IDs to hide the identity of other accomplices to evade arrest before and after the bomb blasts, to receive money through hawala and Western Union Money transfer and also for travelling and accommodation on fake identity.

Ajaz Shaikh was an active member of IM. He joined IM with the help of his father-in-law Mohsin Choudhary who was inspired by jihadi literature. Ajaz Shaikh had good knowledge of computers which he had acquired in Hyderabad while undergoing five months hardware, networking and linux course from an institute in Banjara Hills.

Mohsin Choudhary used to chat regularly from Pakistan and used to ask Ajaz Shaikh to do blasts in India. Both Mohsin Choudhary and Riyaz motivated Ajaz Shaikh for jihad and inducted him into IM. Ajaz Shaikh also supplied explosives at the time of German Bakery blast in Pune to Yasin Bhatkal during February and April, 2010.

On December 27, 2012, Ajaz Shaikh received a voter ID card in the name of Girish Chandra Joshi from Riyaz. He changed the photo on the voter ID and replaced the same with the photograph of Tahseen Akhtar.

Ajaz Shaikh used to send mails to the media houses claiming responsibility of bomb blasts by IM from Mumbai. He communicated with other IM members emails in encrypted and coded form so that the content of their communication remains secret.

He was in regular contact with Riyaz and also with all the accused in twin blasts and also with Mohsin Chaudhary over internet chatting for preparation and supplying of fake IDs and delivery of explosives.

On September 5, 2014 the Delhi police arrested Ajaz Shaikh and also seized some articles. He was one of the conspirators of terror activities in India. Following instructions of Riyaz, Ajaz Shaikh provided fake IDs, hawala money, SIM cards, mobile phones and also knowingly acted as a carrier of explosives to aid the other members of IM in the bomb blasts