Aurangabad (Maharashtra):

The Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) of Gujarat Police today nabbed a dreaded terrorist and mastermind of Mumbai-Ghatkopar BEST bus blast case of 2002 which had claimed 2 lives and injured more than 50 innocent people.

Gujarat ATS SP Himanshu Shukla today said that Yahya Abdul Rehman Shaikh, a resident of Aurangabad in Maharashtra, was nabbed by our team from there on the basis of a tip off. He has been handed over to Mahrashtra police for further action.

He had had planned the bomb blast which had taken place on December 2, 2002, just four days ahead of the 10th anniversary of Babri Mosque demolition incident.

‘At 1845 hrs that evening a bomb placed under the seat in the rear part of a BEST bus exploded near busy Ghatkopar station killing 2 and injuring over 50 people, Shaikh, the director cum owner of Aurangabad based Pragma Soft-tech company had fled and was living in Riyadh in Saudi Arabia since then. During the raid at his company after the blast literature pertaining to banned terror outfits like Indian Mujahidin, Al Qaida and Jaish E Mohamed and objectionable video and literature regarding Gujarat riots were found which had influenced the other perpetrators of this crime,’

A case in connection with the blast was registered by crime branch and CID of Mumbai as DCB CID C R No 156/02 under section 120 B of the IPC read with section 3, 4, 18, 20, 21 , 22 along with 53 of POTA 2002 and sections 5 , 9 (b) of The Explosive Act 1884 and section 3 of Explosive Substances Act 1908, section 3 of Damage of Public property Act.

DeshGujarat