UP cops on hunt for terror duo in train blast case

THE UTTAR Pradesh Antiterrorism Squad is looking for two members of an alleged terror module that is believed to be behind the Bhopal-ujjain train blast on Tuesday.

Nine suspects have been arrested in connection with the blast, while one was gunned down in an encounter near Lucknow.

A suspected arms dealer, identified as Rocky Ranawat, surrendered this evening before Etawah police, said Shiv Hari Meena, SSP of the district. Ranawat has said he is innocent.

According to sources in the ATS, the two members they are looking for are from Kanpur, which is the home town of some of the other suspected members of the module.

ATS officers said the links betweentheallegedterrorgroupand suspected arms suppliers were confirmed after they checked some bank accounts to find Rs 70,000depositedintheaccountof one of the arms suppliers, Shailendrayadav.hehadallegedly sold a pistol to the group last year and was arrested two days ago.

Inspector-general, ATS, Asim Kumar Arun told The Indian Express that they were collecting background information on all the nine accused to find out about their sources of income.

During investigation, it came to light that Gaus Khan, the former IAF employee held yesterday, was present in the crowd while the ATS was carrying out an operation in a house in Haji Colony in Lucknow to arrest Saifullah on Tuesday.

He called up his wife the same day and reportedly informed her that he had landed in a problem. He left the place, changed his clothes and shaved his beard to give the ATS team the slip, but was caught on Thursday.

The weapons, laptop and cellphones reportedly found in the house where Saifullah was killed have been sent for examination.

An ATS team is trying to verify from a nationalised bank about a cheque of Rs 1.9 lakh found in the house of Saifullah and issued in the name of one of the accused — Atif Muzaffar who was arrested along with Danish Akhtar and Syed Mir Hussain in Madhya Pradesh.

The agency is collecting details to find out who helped the group — Saifullah and the three arrested in Madhya Pradesh — get another house on rent in Saadatganj area in Lucknow old city before they shifted to Haji Colony.

LEADER MEETS SAIFULLAH’S FAMILY