Hyderabad: The suspected Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militant Mohammad Azam, who was killed in a police encounter in the wee hours of November 23, had admitted that he was trained in Pakistan and was planning to eliminate a VHP (Vishwa Hindu Parishad) leader in Andhra Pradesh to create communal disturbances.

Azam (32), picked up by police in neighbouring Rangareddy district late on November 22 night, had told the police that he, along with his associate Mohammad Imran alias Aziz, planted the time-bomb in the scooter at a parking lot near Sai Baba temple in Dilsukhnagar on November 21 that left a woman dead and 21 others injured, police said.

The ultra, a resident of Yakutpura in the old city, was nabbed at Medpally checkpost, about 30 Kms from Hyderabad while going on a scooter without any number plate, police said adding, he had told the interrogators that he was planning to kill the VHP's state unit president G Pulla Reddy and two others in the city.

The material seized from his vehicle were similar to the ones used to trigger explosive devices, police added.

The militant, who was later killed in the shoot-out, had admitted that he was working for LeT headed by Abdul Bari alias Abu Amza, residing in Saudi Arabia, police said.

Azam said his associate Imran had left the city soon after the blast, police said adding, "we are on the look out for Imran".

The encounter took place at Parvathipuram, where Azam had hidden some explosives. While pretending to take out the hidden explosives, he whipped out a pistol and fired twice at the police party which retaliated killing the ultra on the spot.

PTI