Delhi Police arrests the main accused of 2008 Gujarat blast case

The Delhi Police has on Saturday night, arrested India's most wanted terrorist, Abdul Subhan Qureshi, who is the main accused in the 2008 serial blast case of Gujarat, in which 56 people were killed. Qureshi, 46-year-old, is a software engineer turned bomb maker and is also often referred as India's bin-laden. He is also an alleged co-founder of terrorist outfit Indian Mujahideen (IM) and was listed in the National Investigation Agency (NIA) most-wanted list. The special cell officer MM Oberoi while calling the arrest a breakthrough just before the Republic Day celebrations on Friday, said that Qureshi was arrested after a brief exchange of fire near Ghazipura area of Delhi. He further told that Qureshi not only assembled the bombs that were used in the Gujarat serial blasts but has also trained other IM operatives in making improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in various Delhi blasts. The police have also found pistols and documents which Qureshi was carrying. The Deputy Commissioner of Police, Special Cell, Pramod Kushwaha said that Qureshi went to Nepal with fake documents and was living there for many years. He also went to Saudi Arabia between 2013 and 2015 and returned to India to revive the terror network, Qureshi is also suspected to be involved in the July 2006 Mumbai train bombings. He is also believed to be the “ al-Arbi” who signed the emails issued by the IM after the terror strikes. Qureshi has been accused as the main mastermind behind the serial blasts in Ahmedabad and Surat on July 26, 2008. As many as 21 bombs were planted in tiffin carriers and motorcycles in busy markets, bus stations and even hospitals where the injured were being treated. The police were looking for Qureshi from along time, but he managed to escape every time. He was reportedly traced in Bangladesh but the police couldn't catch him.