Pune ATS hunts hard for B'lore, Hyd'bad, Delhi blasts instigators

Intelligence reports suggest that the three may be hiding in the city

Intelligence reports suggest that the three may be hiding in the city

Nabbed: Bangalore blast accused Maulana Hussain Gangajali being taken to court. He was arrested in the city on New Year's Eve last year.

The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad's (ATS) Pune unit is hunting for Pakistan-linked terrorists Iqbal Bhatkal, Mohsin Chaudhry, and Riyaz Bhatkal, the suspected masterminds of serial blasts in Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Delhi. Intelligence reports have suggested that the three may be hiding in the city.u00a0

"They are being hunted for serial blasts and have nothing to do with the 26/11 Mumbai attacks," ATS Pune Police Inspector Peter Lobo said.

Riyaz, the suspected founder of Indian Mujahideen (IM), is believed by intelligence sleuths to have assumed the name Shahrukh to conceal his identity, who is alleged to have supplied the explosives for the mentioned serial blasts, while Bhatkal is suspected to have masterminded the blasts along with terrorists Atif Ameen, Mohammad Sadiq and Amir Reza Khan.

Investigating officials point out that both Bhatkal and Shahrukh are from Karnataka, and Shahrukh is reported to have sourced the explosives for the Delhi, Ahmedabad, Jaipur and Uttar Pradesh blasts from the state.