1993 Mumbai blast accused held in Bijnor

Lucknow: The Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) of UP Police, along with a team of Gujarat Police, on Saturday arrested Qadeer Ahmed from Najibabad in Bijnor district in connection with the 1993 serial blasts in Mumbai. He was evading arrest for the past 24 years and finally traced to Kalhedi village of Bijnor.
Police said Qadeer was wanted in connection with the case, charged with playing a key role in receiving the consignment of explosives, arms and ammunition that was supplied by Tiger Memon in Jamnagar (Gujarat).The same explosives and arms were later used in the serial blasts.
ATS IG Aseem Arun said Qadeer was wanted in connection with case crime number 151/1993 lodged at Jamnagar police station (Second Division) under section 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy), 121 (waging war against the nation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), section 9 (B) of the Anti Explosives Act and provisions of the then applicable TADA. He will be produced before a magistrate and taken to Gujarat on transit remand. The arrest was made on the basis of a Gujarat court warrant that was issued on the basis of investigation of a related case lodged by Gujarat police. Arun said Qadeer had played an active role in the supply of arms and explosives used in the blasts. “Qadeer was instrumental in getting the arms and explosive offloaded at Jamnagar in Gujarat”, the IG said.
A Gujarat court had framed charges under the then TADA against him and since then he was on the run and declared an absconder. On a tip-off by the Gujarat police, a team of UP ATS, led by Vishwajeet Singh, succeeded in locating the TADA accused in Najibabad from where he was arrested on Saturday early morning.
During interrogation, Qadeer admitted his role in the blasts. The Gujarat Police has obtained a transit remand from Bijnor court to take the arrested terrorist to Gujarat for verification of his disclosures.
Arrest of TADA accused Qadeer gains significance in the light of the fact that recently convicted six others in the case, including Abu Salem, who hails from Azamgarh in UP. Tiger’s brother Yakub was hanged in 2015 but Tiger is still on the run. With the arrest of Qadeer, the investigating agency has found a key witness to tighten the noose around Tiger Memon, feel the UP ATS.