Arrested Ahmedabad blast accused lived in Gaya as teacher

GAYA: Terror suspect Tausif Khan, an accused in the 2008 Ahmedabad serial blasts case who was arrested from a cyber cafe in Gaya on Wednesday night, had been living in the town for the past several years with the assumed name ‘Atique’ and offering tuitions to students, police said on Thursday.

“Tausif was also teaching science, mathematics and English at a private school in

Karmauni

village under Dobhi police station in Gaya district. The school’s owner Sarwar Khan has also been detained,” Gaya SSP

Garima Malik

said.

A Gujarat ATS team is on its way to Gaya to interrogate Tausif. The

Gujarat Police

is likely to seek Tausif’s remand for further interrogation.

Tausif and his associate Sana were picked up from the cyber cafe after they were found posting some objectionable contents on social media. “As of now, Sarwar and Sana are not arrested. They have been detained for interrogation,” the SSP said.

According to sources, police have recovered objectionable literature, including a book on ‘jihad’ published from Pakistan from Tausif’s possession. Police are scanning a pen drive recovered from him. Tausif was not carrying any weapon at the time of his arrest.

Police officials believe Tausif was engaged in radicalising Muslim youths of Karmauni, Sahdeo Khap and other neighbouring villages.

Fifty-six persons were killed in 21 different blasts in Ahmedabad triggered in a span of 70 minutes between 6.45pm and 7.55pm on July 26, 2008. At least 200 persons, including women and children, were injured in the serial blasts.

Tausif mysteriously disappeared from Gujarat after the blasts after which the state police has been looking for him for the last nine years.

Karmauni villagers say that the arrested man behaved erratically. A few months back, the local mukhiya asked him to produce his identity documents, which he refused. Tausif lived an unorganised life. He used to avoid elders and befriend youths.

Earlier there was some confusion about the real identity of the arrested man. The confusion was compounded on account of the similarity in the name of Tausif and Tauqeer, both wanted in connection with the Ahmedabad blasts. Charges against Tauqeer, the other accused, are more serious. In August 2012, the NIA had announced a reward of Rs 4 lakh on any information leading to Tauqeer’s arrest. Tauqeer continues to dodge the Gujarat Police and the NIA.

A senior police officer said thorough and professionally formatted quizzing of Tausif was required. The questionnaire will have to be framed jointly with Gujarat Police, he added.