Arrested
Indian Mujahideen militant arrested. (Representational Image)Creative Commons

A special cell of the Delhi police arrested a top Indian Mujahideen (IM) operative from Nepal on Wednesday, February 14. 

According to Delhi Police, Ariz Khan alias Junaid, is an "expert bomb maker, conspirator, and executioner".  The police said that he was also wanted in 2007 UP blasts, 2008 Jaipur serial blasts, and 2008 Ahmedabad blasts.

Here's all we know so far about Junaid:  

  • The 32-year-old Ariz Khan, who is also known as Junaid, has been absconding since September 2008, after he escaped being killed at the Batla House encounter in New Delhi, according to police. 
  • Two IM suspects were shot dead and two others were caught by the police in the Batla House encounter. He was hiding in house number L-18 of Batla House, when the encounter took place.
  • Junaid was on the hit list of the police after his name figured in five bomb blast cases. He was wanted for the 2007 Uttar Pradesh blasts, 2008 Jaipur serial blasts and 2008 Ahmedabad blasts
  • "Khan was involved in many bombing incidents including 2008 Delhi serial blasts, 165 people died in incidents he was involved in," Pramod Singh Kushwaha, DCP, Special Cell Delhi Police, was quoted as saying by The Times of India.
  • The police had announced a bounty of Rs 15 lakh on his head, reported India Today.
  • The militant is an expert bomb maker, conspirator and executioner. 
  • Junaid, who hails from Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh is a software engineer. 
  • His arrest comes a few weeks after another IM operative and prime accused in the 2008 Gujarat serial bomb blast, Abdul Subhan Qureshi, got arrested from east Delhi.  Qureshi is also a software engineer-turned-bombmaker, the police said. 
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