Police monitor ex-aides of ONGC case suspects

MUMBAI: The 13/7 blasts investigators are trying to keep tabs on the activities of men named by Latif Rashid and Riyaz Ali Imtiyaz, the two suspects who allegedly planned to set the Mumbai ONGC headquarters on fire. Imtiyaz, who worked at Mangaldas market near Zaveri Bazar, was also accused of doing a recce of the bazar area.

The two were arrested in March 2010 for planning terror strikes at ONGC, a Borivili mall and Mangaldas market. At Zaveri Bazaar, a powerful bomb killed nine people on July 13. The duo was arrested by the state Anti-Terrorism Suad (ATS). "The investigators are going back to their interrogation reports and statements. The duo had mentioned a few names and therefore it's necessary to check everyone. We are not naming any specific person responsible for the blasts, but we also don't want to take any chances," said a senior police official.

The duo had befriended several other youths in the city who were later "neutralized" by police. "Some of them have become witnesses in the ONGC case," said the officer. The police teams want to know if the neutralized youths had information about Wednesdays' blasts.

Meanwhile, the Nashik ATS unit questioned Bilal Shaikh, 27, alias Bada Bilal, who is a college dropout. Bilal had allegedly planned terror attacks at the police commissionerate, police training school and cantonment area in Nashik. "He was recruited in the Indian Mujahideen by his associate Mirza Himayat Baig, the only arrested accused in Pune German Bakery blast case. On Baig's instructions, Bilal had come to Mumbai and purchased bags from the Crawford market area. He had also visited other places. The police questioned him in jail, but could not get any lead," said an officer. The police also claimed to have seized 700 gm of RDX from Bilal during his arrest. The police said Bilal also went to Pakistan for training in firearms and assembling bombs.