New Delhi: In what could be a rude shock to underworld criminals who considered Dubai as a safe haven, the port city played a pivotal role in not "deporting" the main accused in the Ghatkopar bomb blast Imran Rehman Khan to Pakistan on instructions from ISI.

Stung by widespread criticism of playing a "spoil sport" in case of underworld don Anees Ibrahim, Imran revealed during interrogation the agents of D-company tried to apply pressure on Dubai authorities for his safe passage to Pakistan, which was, however, turned down, informed sources said in New Delhi.

Imran told his interrogators that Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) had promised his safe passage to Pakistan after tying up the formalities with the Dawood operatives in the port city, they said.

Imran had already revealed that he had been summoned by the Lashkar-e-Toiba's front organisation in Saudi Arabia to formulate a plan "to take revenge for Gujarat killings".

The new revelation came from Imran after the deportation of Mohammed Afzal from Dubai on January 26, who had accused Imran of being the mastermind and even alleged that he had roped him into the activities of LeT.

It may be mentioned that Imran had earlier accused one Altaf of having masterminded blast in a bus outside Ghatkopar railway station in Mumbai which left two persons dead besides damaging property worth Rs 10 lakh.

Afzal revealed during interrogation that Imran along with Abu Bakar, a LeT militant, had met him in Dubai while he was working with a private firm as a chemical engineer in May 2002, the sources said.

Abu Bakar was the same militant who was killed in Andhra Pradesh while carrying out an attack on devotees of Sai Baba.

Afzal told his interrogators that Imran had again met him with Abu Hamza and Mohammed Razzak who promised them a safe passage to Pakistan after carrying out blasts in India besides huge monetary gains, the sources said.

The deportation and subsequent arrests have highlighted the presence of second LeT unit outside Pakistan besides bringing to light the fact that ISI was still bent on carrying out subversive activities in Gujarat to spark a communal clash.

The first LeT cell noticed outside Pakistan was in Kuwait that had recruited Shahid Ahmed Bakshi of Ahmedabad who was arrested in February 2002 for trying to target political leaders, the sources said.

PTI