Mumbai ATS raids hideout of 13/7 blasts accused

The Mumbai ATS has found the hideout of the terrorists involved in the 13/7 serial blasts in the city. The ‘safe house’ in Byculla was raided on January 5; four days after the alleged perpetrators of the blast had vacated it.

As per initials reports, three persons were living in the third-floor flat. Two of them, who claimed to be from Bihar, had provided their photos for the rent agreement.

As per locals the two – Pervez and Waqat – spoke very good Urdu. The third person in the group is believed to be Indian Mujahideen mastermind Mohammed Ahmed Sidibapa alias Shahrukh Shahbandari alias Yasin Bhatkal.

They had told neighbours and the landlord that they worked in a BPO and hence used to be closeted inside the flat the whole day and only go out after dark.

They had been living in the flat for the past 11 months, reports said.

When the ATS broke into the flat, they found it completely empty. It is believed that the terror trio used to sleep on newspapers and order food from outside.

ATS sleuths are questioning the houseowner Rubina. The property dealer who arraigned the flat for the blast suspects was also being questioned.

However, reports said that the trio is believed to have already fled the country.

The Yasin-led IM module is feared to be behind the German Bakery bombing in Pune, the blast at Chinnaswami Stadium in Bangalore and the firing on foreign tourists near Jama Masjid in Delhi ahead of the 2010 Commonwealth Games.