SUSPECTED IM OPERATIVE HELD FOR ROLE IN MULTIPLE BLASTS
The Delhi Police have arrested a suspected Indian Mujahideen terrorist who had been on the run since the 2008 Batla House encounter, a senior officer said on Wednesday.
Ariz Khan was arrested by the Delhi Police’s Special Cell.
“The Delhi Police Special Team arrested Ariz Khan alias Junaid, who was involved in many bombing incidents including the 2008 Delhi serial blasts,” said Pramod Singh Kushwaha, DCP, Special Cell Delhi Police, at a press conference.
“He is an expert bomb maker, conspirator and executioner...At least 165 people died in the incidents he was involved in,” he added.
Khan was present at Batla House, along with four others, and had managed to give police the slip during the encounter on September 19, 2008 in Delhi’s Jamia Nagar, in which two Indian Mujahideen terrorists were killed and as many arrested.
“He was associated with Atif Amin, who was killed in the Batala House encounter. Ariz Khan was also wanted in the 2007 UP blasts, 2008 Jaipur serial blasts and 2008 Ahmedabad blasts. He had escaped from Batala House during the encounter,” Kushwaha said.
Encounter specialist inspector Mohan Chand Sharma, who led the police action, was killed during the Batla House operation.
A trial court in July 2013 had sentenced Indian Mujahideen (IM) terrorist Shahzad Ahmed to life imprisonment in connection with the Batla House encounter case. His appeal against the trial court’s verdict has been pending in the high court.
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