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Breakthrough in German Bakery blast, two LeT men held

Mumbai, Sept 8 (PTI) Nearly seven months after a powerful blast ripped through Pune's German Bakery killing 17 and wounding 56, Maharashtra's Anti-Terrorism Squad today claimed to have made a breakthrough in the case with the arrest of two LeT operatives.Mirza Himayat Baig (29), who heads LeT's operations in Maharashtra, was arrested from Mahatma Gandhi bus stand in Pune yesterday afternoon, while his aide Shaikh Lalbaba Mohammed Hussain alias Bilal (27) was nabbed from Subash Chandra Bose Marg in Nashik last night, Maharashtra ATS chief Rakesh Maria announced at a crowded press conference here.Baig and Bilal were produced before courts in Pune and Nashik which remanded them in ATS custody till September 20 and 16 respectively for interrogation."Both played a key role in triggering the Pune blast.The conspiracy was hatched in Udgir town in Latur district in January this year," Maria, Additional Director General of Police, ATS, said adding that bakery was targeted as it was frequented by foreigners.Two kg of RDX, soldering wires, cutters, LeT literature, manuals for making bombs, USD 1,200, Rs 10,500, SIM cards procured using fake documents, mobile phones and pen drives were recovered from the duo, he said.While Baig was arrested for the Pune blast, Shaikh, who was constantly in touch with him and provided him logistical support, was held under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Maria said. Shaikh had conducted recce of several important locations including government buildings in Nashik for proposed terror strikes, he said. "After Shaikh's arrest under the UAPA, his role in the blast case was established. Once the remand in the UAPA case is over, we would arrest him in the Pune blast case too," he said. High-profile IPS officer Maria, who was drafted as ATS chief after continued delay in making a breakthrough in the case, said the investigation took ATS teams to several places in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Daman and various other states. According to Maria, Baig had conducted recce of the German Bakery and was also involved in planting the bomb with Mohmmad Ahmed Zarar Siddibappa alias Yasin, a key Indian Mujahideen leader. "Baig received terror training at Bhatkal in Karnataka after he came into contact with Iqbal and Riyaz Bhatkal (the fugitive founder of Indian Mujahideen) through Akbar Choudhary, brother of Mohsin Choudhary, another IM member." Baig, he said, was instrumental in bringing together the accused of 2006 Aurangabad arms haul case and Indian Mujahideen module to hatch the conspiracy and carry out the blast in the Bakery. In May 2006, the ATS had seized 43 kg of RDX, 16 AK-47 assault rifles, 3,200 bullets and 50 hand grenades on the Nasik-Aurangabad highway and arrested over 15 alleged activists of the banned SIMI. More PTI VM SK