AHMEDABAD — A plot to disturb this communally sensitive city was foiled when police arrested a man from his house in the old city and recovered at least 10 crude bombs he had hidden near a desolate pond in his neighbourhood.
The police said Shahzad, who had made the explosives using nails, glass pieces, ball bearings, gun powder etc, had planned to use them for explosions during the July 3 annual religious procession, ‘Rathyatra’, in the city.
However, he told the interrogators, he could not carry out his plans because of very tight security with some 15,000 policemen patrolling the city. Shahzad said he was re-inspired by the July 13 Mumbai bomb blasts and wanted to execute his plan during a major Hindu festival, ‘Janmashtmi’, next month.
The police also recovered two country-made pistols and live cartridges from his home. Surprisingly, the police were tipped off about Shahzad’s bomb-making expertise by his wife who was angry after a tiff with him on Saturday night.
In a fit of rage, she told the control room in the wee hours of Sunday that her husband had threatened to destroy their home with a bomb. The cops raided his home within minutes and arrested Shahzad after they found a crude bomb in the dingy house. Soon, he led the police to a nearby pond where he had hidden 10 more bombs.
A series of 24 synchronised bombings ripped Ahmedabad on July 26, 2008, killing 56 people and injuring 240 people. Again, around 24 dud bombs were recovered in Surat the next day. The court has till now framed charges against 64 accused while 34 others are still absconding. The trial in the case is to begin soon.
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