13-member IM module identified; chief, associate killed, 2 arreste

New Delhi, Sep 20 (UNI) Just a week after five blasts shook the capital and the police from its slumber, police today claimed to have solved the mystery behind the case with the busting of a 13-member Indian Mujahideen module whose chieftain along with his associate were killed in yesterday's encounter.

The Indian Mujahideen (IM) and Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), the two groups spreading terror in the country, were being supported and coordinated by the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), Jt Commissioner (Special Cell) Karnal Singh told the media today.

''After pressure on Pakistan's ISI, the LeT had started grooming local youth for its terror activities in India and for this, it was coordinating to see both the groups join hands.'' Of the 13 members of the IM, which was headed by Atif alias Bashir (24), two -- Saif and Zeeshan -- have been arrested while two were killed in the encounter at Batla House in Jamia Nagar yesterday.

''While Saif was arrested from the spot, Zeeshan was caught from Jhandewalan late in the evening. With this, much of the IM module working in Delhi has been contained,'' he said adding that all of them were from Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh.

Police had arrested another blasts suspect Zeeshan Ahmed yesterday while he was on his way to a media channel's office to speak on behalf of the IM on 'their version' of the encounter.

''Zeeshan confessed to his involvement in planting one of the bombs in the recent blasts. He, along with Saif have been sent to 14 days of police custody by a city court.'' Mr Singh said both Mohammad Saif, arrested after the encounter at Jamia Nagar, and Zeeshan arrested later in the day, told during interrogation that Atif alias Bashir was an 'important leader' of the Indian Mujahideen (IM) and had masterminded the recent Delhi blasts.

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