New Delhi: An Indian journalist working for an Iranian publication was arrested on Tuesday night in connection with the terror attack on an Israeli diplomat on February 13. Syed Mohammad Ahmad Kazmi (50), who was arrested from his residence at B K Dutt Colony in South Delhi where he lives with his family, is alleged to be part of an Iranian group which carried out the attack and helped the attackers with logistics.
Two computers, a laptop, his Maruti Alto car, mobile phone and $1,250 in cash was recovered. Highly placed sources said he had even helped conduct reconnaissance missions of the Israeli embassy and provided his car to the bombers.
Kazmi, sources said, confessed to helping the bombers and being part of the “conspiracy”. “He was in regular touch with the main conspirators for over a year and helped them at every step,” a source said.
The arrest backs the Israeli claim, made soon after the attack, that Iran was the perpetrator, a development which will further strain India-Iran ties. The ministry of external affairs (MEA) spokesperson, however, was tight-lipped, merely saying, “The investigation which led to arrest of one person is also pursuing several other leads. No conclusions can be drawn at this stage.”
The case, which had gone silent, was reportedly cracked on the basis of inputs provided by Thailand, where the same Iranian group accidentally set off three blasts on Feb 14, which injured one of them. Increased surveillance in thewake of this intelligence led the police to Kazmi, a Press Information Bureau (PIB) accredited journalist. “There is a definite link between the Bangkok blast of February 14 and New Delhi attack,” said a top official.
Police have also recovered the black Hero Honda Passion Pro bike used in the attack, from the Karol Bagh area, where it was rented by the main bomber on the same day. According to the police, the bombers came to New Delhi 15 days before the attack and stayed in a hotel in Paharganj, where they prepared the bomb. One of them tailed the Israeli diplomat’s car on February 13, sources said.
The police also recovered a moped from Kazmi’s residence which had been hired by the bombers from Haryana and used for recces of the Israeli mission about four days before the attack. The main bomber, sources said, left the bike at Kazmi’s house on February 14 and fled to Iran.
Delhi Police brass did not name any country or the bombers, though sources claimed they had identified the bombers. During the raid on Kazmi’s house, the police also recovered a photograph where the main bomber is seen with Kazmi at a function.
The investigations revealed that Kazmi was in touch with a group of four to five Iranians, apparently in the age-group of 30 to 40 years, for over a year. The planning for the attack was done some time around February 2011 and the main bomber, who stuck the “sticky bomb” on diplomat Tal Yehoshua’s car on February 13, had even stayed for almost a month last year in Delhi and discussed the plan with him. The bomber had also visited Kazmi’s residence several times. Kazmi was reportedly promised a handsome amount for helping in the attack. In fact, he had received the first installment of $5,000 from the suspected group.
Scribes’ body for Kazmi’s release
The Delhi Union of Journalists (DUJ) has condemned the arrest of journalist Syed Mohammed Kazmi and demanded his release. Kazmi has been arrested in connection with last month’s attack on the car of an Israeli diplomat in Delhi. The DUJ said Kazmi must not be victimized because he worked for Iranian publications. In a statement, DUJ said, “Kazmi is a professional journalist, a Urdu news anchor for Doordarshan and has worked for numerous Urdu newspapers.’’
Two computers, a laptop, his Maruti Alto car, mobile phone and $1,250 in cash was recovered. Highly placed sources said he had even helped conduct reconnaissance missions of the Israeli embassy and provided his car to the bombers.
Kazmi, sources said, confessed to helping the bombers and being part of the “conspiracy”. “He was in regular touch with the main conspirators for over a year and helped them at every step,” a source said.
The arrest backs the Israeli claim, made soon after the attack, that Iran was the perpetrator, a development which will further strain India-Iran ties. The ministry of external affairs (MEA) spokesperson, however, was tight-lipped, merely saying, “The investigation which led to arrest of one person is also pursuing several other leads. No conclusions can be drawn at this stage.”
The case, which had gone silent, was reportedly cracked on the basis of inputs provided by Thailand, where the same Iranian group accidentally set off three blasts on Feb 14, which injured one of them. Increased surveillance in thewake of this intelligence led the police to Kazmi, a Press Information Bureau (PIB) accredited journalist. “There is a definite link between the Bangkok blast of February 14 and New Delhi attack,” said a top official.
Police have also recovered the black Hero Honda Passion Pro bike used in the attack, from the Karol Bagh area, where it was rented by the main bomber on the same day. According to the police, the bombers came to New Delhi 15 days before the attack and stayed in a hotel in Paharganj, where they prepared the bomb. One of them tailed the Israeli diplomat’s car on February 13, sources said.
The police also recovered a moped from Kazmi’s residence which had been hired by the bombers from Haryana and used for recces of the Israeli mission about four days before the attack. The main bomber, sources said, left the bike at Kazmi’s house on February 14 and fled to Iran.
Delhi Police brass did not name any country or the bombers, though sources claimed they had identified the bombers. During the raid on Kazmi’s house, the police also recovered a photograph where the main bomber is seen with Kazmi at a function.
The investigations revealed that Kazmi was in touch with a group of four to five Iranians, apparently in the age-group of 30 to 40 years, for over a year. The planning for the attack was done some time around February 2011 and the main bomber, who stuck the “sticky bomb” on diplomat Tal Yehoshua’s car on February 13, had even stayed for almost a month last year in Delhi and discussed the plan with him. The bomber had also visited Kazmi’s residence several times. Kazmi was reportedly promised a handsome amount for helping in the attack. In fact, he had received the first installment of $5,000 from the suspected group.
Scribes’ body for Kazmi’s release
The Delhi Union of Journalists (DUJ) has condemned the arrest of journalist Syed Mohammed Kazmi and demanded his release. Kazmi has been arrested in connection with last month’s attack on the car of an Israeli diplomat in Delhi. The DUJ said Kazmi must not be victimized because he worked for Iranian publications. In a statement, DUJ said, “Kazmi is a professional journalist, a Urdu news anchor for Doordarshan and has worked for numerous Urdu newspapers.’’
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