Gujarat police arrest top suspect in Mumbai blasts

The Gujarat police yesterday arrested a key figure who had piloted the movement of explosives used to carry out serial blasts in Mumbai on March 12 , 1993.

Izu Shaikh who had been absconding for over 12 years was picked up in the early hours yesterday by a special operations group of the Gujarat police from Hotel Kamariya Residency located in the Andheri, Kurla area of Mumbai. Shaikh has been brought to Bulsar and is under interrogation.

Fifty-four-year old Izu whose real name is Izra-ul-Huq alias Izu Haji Abdul Hamid Shaikh had absconded in the aftermath of the explosions.He is believed to have moved over to the Gulf and therefrom to Nepal. A red corner Interpol notice was out for him.

Abhay Chudasama, district superintendent of police of the South Gujarat district of Bulsar bordering Maharashtra who had been tracking him received information last fortnight that Izu was expected to come to India via Nepal or Bangladesh.

He was tracked down to the hotel in Mumbai and nabbed in the early hours. Izu was alleged to be close to late chief minister Chimanbhai Patel but was kicked out of the Congress by the then home minister C.D.Patel. However it was during Chabbildas Mehta's chief ministership that Izu was termed a proclaimed offender and his properties were seized. The attached properties included an automobile showroom, a godown in Bulsar town, four shops in Bhilad and two shops in sari village, one hotel in Bhilad and 15 acres of agricultural land.

The background of the case goes back to the Mumbai serial blasts. An 11 man core group had masterminded a conspiracy to avenge the demolition of the Babri mosque at Ayodhya on December 6, 1992.

A.K.Bhargava, Director general of Police, Gujarat told mediapersons in Gandhinagar yesterday that two ships Bismillah and Sada-e-Bahar had carried the lethal consignment of explosives and arms and landed it at Gosabara near Porbandar.