Maharashtra ATS not aware of 13/7 suspect's arrest in Nepal

Mumbai, Jul 27: Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad, probing the July 13 serial blasts here, on Tuesday, Jul 26 said it has not been informed about "arrest or detention" of any person in Nepal in connection with the attacks that claimed 24 lives.

"We have heard of reports about one person being arrested in Nepal on suspicion that he may have links with the blasts here. But we have not received any information about any arrest or detention of any person in this regard from the Central government officials," said an ATS official.

"If that was the case (that a suspect had been arrested) by now we would have been conveyed the message by the Central government," he said in reply to a query.

A senior Crime Branch official also said police had no idea about any person's arrest in Nepal for the explosions.

State-run Gorkhapatra daily in Nepal reported that a 40-year-old man, Mohamad Zahid, was arrested yesterday from Baluwatar, on the outskirts of Kathmandu, and he was being questioned by the anti-terror squad.

Zahid, a resident of southern Nepal's Sarlahi district, which borders India, was allegedly involved in the July 13 Mumbai blasts, the daily claimed.

Gorkhapatra, quoting unnamed police sources, said Zahid was found to have used SMS and telephone to communicate with different people. The daily said he had been operating a terrorist network from his rented room at Baluwatar.

PTI