Mumbai: A 12-year-old case, in which Afzal Mutalib Usmani, along with another Students Islamic Movement of India member, was held by the police for allegedly assaulting a video parlour owner at Shivaji Nagar, has led to the arrests of suspected terrorists of the Indian Mujahideen.
In 1996,SIMI members Usmani, 32,and Amir Chougule had allegedly assaulted video parlour owner Mangal Prasad Pandey for opening a video parlour near a mosque, according to joint commissioner of police (crime), Rakesh Maria.
"After the Ahmedabad blasts, we have been tracking people who were instrumental in delivering stolen vehicles to Gujarat. During these investigations, we discovered that Afzal was one of them," said Maria.
Earlier this month, Afzal was arrested for stealing a car from the Kapurbawdi area in Thane. "When we checked on his background, we found that he and Chougule had been arrested in 1996. We then interrogated him thoroughly, after which he broke down on September 14 and revealed the names of other members of the outfit," Maria said.
According to the police, it was one of the co-founding members, Roshan Khan alias Riyaz Bhatkal, who had given the contract to Afzal to steal vehicles and ferry them to Gujarat.
A crime branch official, on the condition of anonymity, said Afzal was indoctrinated by Bhatkal sometime before 1996."Afzal had been attending indoctrination meetings organised by Bhatkal in Kurla and the Cheetah Camp in Trombay," said the official.
