Mumbai: Mumbai-bred terror suspect Abdul Subhan Qureshi had allegedly approached the Indian Mujahideen (IM)’s absconding chief Riyaz Bhatkal for help, including weapons, to organise targeted attacks on members of a political party in Gujarat after the arrest of 13 senior Students’ Islamic Movement of India leaders in March 2008.
A then BJP MLA and a party office-bearer were on the terror hit list, according to counter-terror sources associated with the probe against Qureshi, who was arrested in Delhi recently.
But Bhatkal allegedly convinced him instead to help in terms of manpower for his conspiracy to conduct blasts, on the ground that target attacks were ‘small work.’ Qureshi is being questioned for his alleged role in terror activities, including the July 2008 Gujarat blasts conspiracy. After the arrest of the SIMI leaders, including the then chief Safdar Nagori at their safe house in Indore, Qureshi, alias ‘Touqeer’, took over the mantle of the banned outfit and allegedly began re-organising, exhorting trusted operatives for ‘action’ as a retaliation against the arrests and the loss of Muslim lives in the Gujarat riots of 2002, said a source. He allegedly arrived in Ahmedabad in April and met SIMI members, he said.
“During a meeting of the SIMI members, it was decided that one way of retaliation could be by targeting a then BJP MLA and a party office-bearer. Touqeer left saying that he will procure weapons,” said the source.
