Indian held in attack on Israeli
In an apparent break in last month’s bombing that injured the wife of an Israeli diplomat, police produced a suspect in court Wednesday, identified by local media as a 50-year-old Indian journalist who worked for an Iranian news agency.
Police said Syed Mohammed Ahmad Kazmi admitted taking part in the operation in New Delhi. Their investigation found that he was in touch with a motorcyclist who officials said attached an explosive device with a magnet to a Toyota registered to the Israeli Embassy.
The court ordered that Kazmi, whose face was covered during the proceedings, remain in custody for 20 days while the investigation continues.
“The entire incident was not an accidental act as it was done in a well-planned manner,” a police investigator told the court.
Police say the suspect’s house was searched for evidence linking him to the Feb. 13 attack that wounded the diplomat’s wife, Tal Yehoshua Koren, along with her driver and two people in an adjacent vehicle. Authorities declined to say what, if anything, was found in the search.
Israel has blamed the attack on Iran, which has denied any involvement. Indian government officials said police had found no conclusive link to the Tehran regime. India relies on Iran for about 12% of its oil.
“The investigations are pursuing various leads,” Syed Akbaruddin, the Indian Foreign Ministry’s main spokesman, said Wednesday. “And our understanding is that no conclusions can be drawn at this stage.”
The Indian government said no security cameras were focused on the area where the bombing took place, even though it was a few hundred yards from the prime minister’s residence.
A similar attack on an Israeli diplomat’s car was foiled in the nation of Georgia the same day. The following day, three Iranians accidentally blew up a rented house in Thailand that apparently was being used as a bomb factory.