Click to play videoFor the first time the Union Government has admitted that at least one of the 26/11 terror handlers could be Indian.
Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, speaking exclusively to Vir Sanghvi on Network18 channel CNBC-TV18, claimed that there could have been an Indian hand in the Mumbai terror attacks.
The Home Minister said that voice samples of the suspect from Pakistan were essential to conclusively establish the identity of Abu Jindal, who is suspected to the Indian handler.
P Chidambaram: There was a handler in 26/11 whom we have known for long, or suspected for a long time, could be an Indian.
Vir Sanghvi: This is the Jindal or Zindal according to the transcript?
P Chidambaram: Goes by the name Abu Jindal. That's something we have known for many, many months now, he goes by the name Abu Jindal, but he is not Abu Jindal, that is not his real name.
Vir Sanghvi: That's his nom-de-plume?
P Chidambaram: Now we can't get a finger on who he is, unless we get a voice sample.
Vir Sanghvi: And they won't give us a voice sample?
P Chidambaram: And they won't give us voice samples. Now there could be speculation that Abu Jindal could be A, Abu Jundal could be B. Now you may be right in your speculation, but how as Home Minister can you speculate? I can't speculate. Now 2ndly when we say he could be an Indian, he could be somebody who has acquired Indian characteristics
Vir Sanghvi: By living under cover in India?
P Chidambaram: He could have infiltrated into India and lived here long enough to acquire an Indian accent, familiarity with...
Vir Sanghvi: Use of words like Udaharan.
P Chidambaram: Or he could be somebody who exfiltrated from India to Pakistan, and was adopted by the militants there.
Who is Abu Jindal?
He is one of the alleged masterminds of the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai. It is believed that his real name could be Syed Zabiuddin Ansari. He is wanted in the Aurangabad arms haul case as well as well as for plotting to assassinate Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. Ansari hails from Aurangabad in Maharashtra.
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