Delhi HC blast: Youth with injury marks arrested in Kolkata, face similar to sketch of accused

Kolkata - 13 Sep 2011: A person in his late thirties has been arrested from Bagnan in Howrah in connection with the recentDelhi high court blast. Police said, the person has several injuries similar to blast wounds. His face resembled with the sketch of the culprits published by the NIA. The man identified himself as Syed Afjal Taher.

Sources said, the person landed at Bagnan rural hospital on Monday afternoon, with injuries on his left palm, face and leg. "His left hand was hanged with a sling and head was wrapped with a bandage drenched in blood," said a doctor at Bagnan hospital. The man reportedly told the doctor that his hand was aching and asked for medicine.

The hospital authorities asked his name and address but he initially refused to give them details. Since, there were discrepancies in the information he provided, the doctors became suspicious. They informed the local police and during interrogation, the cops also found several contradictory statements.

" He is now posing as mentally deranged. In every five minutes he is changing his statement," said an investigator. Finally, police arrested him in the morning and produced before the Howrah court. He has been sent to police custody for further interrogation.

Sources said, probe revealed that his mother tongue is Urdu. But he has proficiency in Hindi, Nepali and English as well. No document or luggage was found along with him. Police claimed that Taher hails from Banke district ofNepalwhich is bordering Uttar Pradesh. But the police have not yet established how he sustained injuries and how he landed at Bagnan.

Police have reasons to believe that he was somewhere in south Bengal and was travelling in a Howrah bound local train. On the way due to unbearable pain he got off and was looking for medicine. He opted for rural hospital as he felt it was safe. SP Howrah, Rabindra Nath Banerjee confirmed that Taher has been arrested and further investigation is on.

Meanwhile, officers of National Investigation Agency have rounded up Sunny Sharma from Kolkata outskirts as the investigators believed that Sharma had sent second and fourth mail posing as Chhotu Miya and took the onus of the blast on behalf of Indian Mujahideen.

Though NIA officers said that they are suspicious of how far the mails were original. Cops claimed that the mail was sent from a cell phone using wi-fi connection. NIA is now interrogating Sharma.

source: TOI