TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: The terrorist team that successfully carried out Mumbai blasts on the July 13, 2011 was partying in Goa after being rewarded with an all-expense paid holiday here.
Asadullah Akhtar, an alleged close associate of banned terror group Indian Mujahideen’s co-founder Yasin Bhatkal, told interrogators that they were given Rs 1-lakh each which they splurged on a holiday in Goa, news website Rediff.com reported.
Speaking to Herald, Director General of Police Kishen Kumar said that they would not like to comment because the case is being investigated by the National Investigating Agency.
“Since it is with the NIA, the Goa Police will not speak anything about it,” Kishen Kumar told Herald.
According to the revelations, after the success of the blasts, Akhtar along with Waqas (another terrorist) went back to Byculla and watched the proceedings on television. Once they realized that the bombs had exploded successfully, we decided to leave the city.
“We were given money by Yasin who told us to take a vacation at a place of our choice. Both of us left for Goa and spent over a week there. We were given nearly Rs 1 lakh and told to spend it on a vacation at a place of our choice. We chose Goa,” Akhtar told the interrogators.
Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar while speaking in the assembly on Thursday, made a statement that terrorists use the state as a place for resting. That statement has been vindicated with Friday’s revelations.
Goa has in recent times been in the news for being a safe hideout for terrorists with the news that IM operative Yasin Bhatkal himself admitting that he had stayed in rented accommodation in Chapora and that he had reconnoitered several locations in Goa. Bomb making equipment was also found in the rented accommodation where he had stayed.
Earlier, 26/11 planner David Headley admitted that he has checked out several locations where Israelis frequent in the state to plan possible attacks.
