Pune blast co-accused trained in Colombo – Maharashtra ATS

Suspected LeT operative Faiyaz Kagzi had trained Mirza Himayat Baig, who was arrested for his alleged role in 2010 Pune German bakery blast, at a camp in Colombo, the Maharashtra ATS said.

In 2008, Kagzi had trained LeT operative Baig in organising recruits and bomb-making techniques in a camp in the Sri Lankan capital for three weeks, an ATS official told PTI.

"In March 2008, Baig had been to Colombo after being called by Kagzi, an alleged former SIMI activist wanted in 2006 Aurangabad arms haul case, for training in making bombs. Along with Kagzi, one more person was present during the training," the official said.

"The three had chosen Colombo as they thought it was a safe place and no security agency would have any doubt about their bomb-making activities. Moreover, Sri Lanka had visa-on-arrival facility then. After the training, they also decided as to through which mode of communication they would remain in contact in future," the ATS official said.

Kagzi had given Baig Rs 2.5 lakh to get a new identity and set up a base of radicals in Maharashtra, the source added.

Baig, who was on the run as he is wanted in many cases in Pune, kept on changing his locations from Beed to Bhatkal in Karnataka to Udgir in Latur district of Maharashtra, where the conspiracy for the German bakery blast was hatched, the official said.

Baig was arrested from Pune in September, 2010.

Earlier today, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) lodged an FIR against arrested terror suspect Abu Jundal and Kagzi, who is absconding, for hatching the 26/11 attacks conspiracy and aiding the Pakistan-trained terrorists.

In the charge sheet filed in a Pune court in the German bakery blast case, the ATS had named six other accused, suspected to be co-plotters and currently absconding, namely Mohsin Choudhary, Yasin Bhatkal, Riyaz Bhatkal, Iqbal Bhatkal, Faiyaz Kagzi and Zabihuddin Ansari alias Abu Jundal.

Baig was arrested from Pune in September, 2010, nearly seven months after a powerful blast ripped through the famous eatery killing 17 people and injuring 56.

The ATS had in May 2006 seized 43 kg of RDX, 16 AK-47 assault rifles, 3,200 bullets and 50 hand grenades on the Nasik-Aurangabad highway and arrested 21 terror suspects. (ToI)