'08 serial blasts accused nabbed from Belgaum

Ahmedabad : Suspected Indian Mujahideen (IM) operative, Nasir Rangrej, was arrested on Sunday night from Belgaum, Karnataka, in a joint operation by Gujarat ATS and crime branch. Rangrej was arrested for his alleged involvement in the serial bomb blasts that ripped through Ahmedabad on the evening of July 26, 2008 leaving 56 dead and over 200 injured.
The ATS officials said Rangrej, who had been on the run for the last eight years, used to ply an auto and run a catering business in Belgaum.
Earlier, Karnataka police had arrested 11 SIMI suspects, including Rangrej, from Belgaum for allegedly testing a cylinder bomb. "A laptop was also recovered from the accused by Karnataka police, which contained material regarding the prohibited SIMI organization," said an ATS official.
"Till date, 76 accused in the serial blasts case have been arrested, and 20, including brothers Iqbal-Riaz Bhatkal and Abdul Subhan alias Taukeer are still absconding," said an ATS official.
Himanshu Shukla, SP, ATS, said Rangrej had allegedly attended terror training camps at Vaghamon in Kerala, Halol and Champaner in Gujarat and Khandwa in Madhya Pradesh, where the participants had trained in swimming, rope climbing and making bomb circuits.
During Rangrej's primary interrogation, it has come to light that before the blasts he was in contact with Safdar Nagori, Shejad Hussain and some other accused, and had a prior knowledge of several serial blasts, which took place across the country during that period.
DCP, crime branch, Deepan Bhadran, said Rangrej is allegedly involved in the conspiracy that led to the 21 serial bomb blasts in the city in July 2008.
"We will produce him in court on Tuesday for obtaining police remand. We still have to trace about 20 absconding accused in the serial-blasts case and are hopeful of getting some important clues from Rangrej," added Bhadran.