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Mystery chacha resurfaces as ATS nabs duo in terror plot

DNMUM165937 | 3/15/2010 | Author : Somendra Sharma | WC :602 | India

ONGC oil tankers, Thakkar mall and Mangaldas market were targets; shadowy chacha from Pakistan played handler — similar reference made in 26/11 gunman Kasab's confession

The anti-terrorism squad (ATS) on Saturday night arrested two suspected terrorists and claimed to have foiled bids on ONGC oil tankers, Thakkar mall in Borivli and the Mangaldas market.
The arrests followed interception of conversations between one of the two and their shadowy handler in Pakistan, chacha. Intriguingly, chacha also figured in the confessions of Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving terrorist of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, and later pointed to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT)founder Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi. The police, however, are not jumping to conclusions yet.
The duo, identified as Abdul Latif Abdul Rashid Shaikh alias Guddu, 29, a resident of Bandra (E), and Riyaz Ali Abu Bakar Shaikh alias Riyan, 22, of Dahisar (E), was nabbed at Matunga railway station. Latif is married to Riyaz's sister Nusrat. Riyaz worked at a garment shop in Thakkar mall. Both have no previous police records and no documents, like maps, have been found with them.
Intelligence agencies, on heightened vigil after the Pune German Bakery blast in February, had put the mobile phone of Latif, the leader of the two-man team, under electronic surveillance nearly a month ago. "Latif was in direct touch with chacha and there were regular telephonic conversation between them," the official said.
ATS chief KP Raghuvanshi said, "A few people, including the arrested duo, were asked to visit Pakistan and were also asked to prepare their passports. Both have already applied for pa...

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