'Accomplices of IM terrorists trained for planting bombs'

Five accomplices of suspected IM terrorists, who were held from Sikar, had been prepared for the task of planting of bombs at targets in Rajasthan, a senior police officer on Friday said.

Initial investigation also showed that one of them was mentally prepared to go to Afghanistan for Fiyadeen (suicide bombing) training, while all of them were to be used as bomb carriers and for planting explosives by their handlers in the state.

"However, their targets are not clear yet and the inputs provided by them are being verified," ATS ADG Alok Tripathi told reporters in Jaipur.

Those who were arrested from Jaipur and Jodhpur had visited Agra and Delhi and one of the five accused held in Sikar on Thursday said during interrogation that he was planning to go to Bharatpur, Tripathi said.

The accused, identified as Wahid Gauri, Sajjad Chauhan, Aquib Bhati, Wakar and Umar, were picked by the Rajasthan ATS from their houses in Sikar in the wee hours on Thursday and were produced before a local court in Jaipur which remanded them in police custody for seven days.

Three of them are students, one is a typist and another is a painter.

"All of them were in touch with Mohammad Maruf alias Ibrahim, who was among other terrorists arrested in Jaipur on Sunday, despite knowing the fact that Maruf was having connection with IM operatives Tehseen Akhtar alias Monu and other dreaded terrorists in Pakistan.

"The five accomplices were also collecting Rs 100 per month on their own for arrangements of stay and visits of other terrorist to Sikar," the ADG said.

Those arrested in Jaipur - Maruf, Mehrajuddin and Wakar - had visited them in Sikar three times in the last six months.

"One of them was given training on making circuits and they were prepared by Maruf to plant bomb at certain places and on given dates and they were prepared for that," Tripathi said.

Merajuddin has been released by Delhi Police but the Rajasthan ATS said he will be interrogated before arriving at any conclusion about his role in terror activities.

There were also reports that the alleged terrorist held in Jaipur had also conducted recce of Gopalgarh in Bharatpur for carrying out blasts, but the ADG said this input was subject to verification.

Gopalgarh is the town where ten Mev Muslims were killed in police firing in 2011.

There is no certainty over their targets but places like Birla Temple, Amber Fort, shopping malls in Jaipur and Ganga Temple in Bharatpur could be their probable targets.