ATS probing Kurla man's claims on bomb plot

KALYAN: The Mumbai Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has started investigations into claims by a Kurla resident, Abdullah Latif Rauf Shaikh, that he overheard four men on Monday discussing plans to plant bombs in Mumbai, at the Kalyan Guest House hotel, opposite the railway station.
On Wednesday night, after the blasts, Abdullah also said he knew one of the accused.But when he tried to contact the local police, he said, they ignored him and it was only then that he gave an interview to a TV news channel.
Assistant commissioner of police R T Rathod ordered an inquiry on Thursday, and investigating agencies have started probing the matter.
ATS and local Mahatma Phule police teams visited the guesthouse and seized guest records on Friday. The agencies are also making inquiries with hotel staff and the manager, Ravi Shetty, about the four persons.
Vishwas Bulbul, a guesthouse staffer, claimed that Abdullah may be taking revenge against them as they had evacuated him from his room as he did not have any identity proof on Tuesday.
Thane police chief K P Raguvanshi, who had spent five years with the ATS, also visited Kalyan and checked the progress of the investigation on Friday. He met senior officials attached to the investigation at the DCP's office.
Raghuvanshi said that the claims were being taken seriously, and the ATS and Thane police were probing the matter.
The Thane police have sent teams to various places, including Pune, to check the antecedents of the hotel's recent guests.
Abdullah has strangely gone missing after investigations began. Sources claimed that his mobile phone had been switched off, and when the police visited Lambi Chawl in Kasaiwada, they found that the address provided was wrong. Police also made inquiries with a mobile company near Joker Talkies, where he claimed he was working, but found that he had lied about that too.