Zee News 

Lucknow, Aug 16: The Ahmedabad police’s crime branch probing the July 26 serial blasts has cracked the case, sources said on Saturday August 16. The alleged mastermind behind the serial blasts has also been arrested along with eight other suspected SIMI activists, sources added.

The Uttar Pradesh police’s anti-terror squad picked up the alleged mastermind Abu Bashar, a suspected SIMI activist, from Azamgarh on Wednesday. According to sources in the Gujarat police, Abu Bashar was the brain behind the deadly blasts in which over 53 people were killed and more than 160 injured.

A team of officers from the Ahmedabad police has reached Uttar Pradesh’s capital, Lucknow to take Abu Bashar into custody.

The other eight SIMI activists were taken into custody in Kerala, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Gujarat.

Reports also suggested that the Maharashtra police’s ATS has detained three suspects in connection with the blasts.

Sources in the Ahmedabad police said the attack on Gujarat’s commercial capital was a well-planned attack in which explosives were procured from outside the state and assembled in Ahmedabad.

Those behind the blasts – part of a nationwide network – are believed to have held several meetings in Vadodra, Ahmedabad, Surat and Bharuch in Gujarat, and in Kerala and Karnataka prior to carrying out the blasts.

A total of 105 suspects have been questioned in connection with the blasts so far.

The Gujarat police will hold a press conference at 4:00 pm today to formally announce the arrests and whether the case has been cracked.

While 21 blasts rocked Ahmedabad on July 26, killed at least 55 people, more than 24 live bombs were recovered in Surat.

The attack in Ahmedabad came a day after nine low-intensity blasts rocked Bangalore in which two people were killed and over 20 injured.