Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Tuesday granted bail to Kafeel Ahmed Mohammed Ayub, 65, who was arrested thirteen years ago in connection with the July 13, 2011 triple blasts case that killed 27 persons and injured 127. 

A bench of Justices Ajey Gadkari and RR Bhonsale granted bail to Ayub on a surety of Rs one lakh. A detailed order copy is awaited. At present, he is lodged at the Mumbai Central prison. 

Ayub had approached the  HC after his bail plea was rejected by the special court in 2022. 

Ayub, a resident of Bihar, was arrested in February 2012 and has been in custody since then. 

On July 13, 2011, Mumbai was rocked by three blasts — at Zaveri Bazaar, Opera House and near a school in Dadar Kabutarkhana close to the railway station — in a span on 10 minutes. 

The probe  was handed over to the state Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) police. It alleged that terror outfit Indian Mujahideen (IM) had orchestrated the blasts and the main conspirator was its founder Yasin Bhatkal. Eleven persons are facing trial in the case. 

According to the ATS, Ayub and the other accused in the case were indoctrinating Muslim youths to carry out terror acts at the behest of IM. It further claimed that Ayub was in close contact with Yasin Bhatkal, who is alleged to be the main conspirator, and is still absconding. 

Ayub’s advocate Mubin Solkar argued that Ayub has been languishing in jail for over a decade. The prosecution has said it would examine 800 witnesses, and not a single witness has been examined yet, his plea contended. 

His plea claimed that he is innocent and implicated in the case. Moreover, the prosecution has no evidence against him except his own confession which he said was not given voluntarily. 

Navi Mumbai: The Navi Mumbai Police’s Anti-Narcotics Cell has arrested Keyur Jayesh Gogri (29), son of Beena Gogri, National President of the BJP’s Bharat Raksha Manch, for allegedly selling hydro ganja smuggled from Thailand.

The arrest followed a raid at his residence in Kharghar Sector 19, where police seized 800 milligrams of hydro ganja worth ₹5,000.

Acting on a tip-off, a team led by Senior Police Inspector Sandeep Nigde of the Anti-Narcotics Cell conducted a raid on October 30 at Shivsai Building in Kharghar. During the search, police recovered plastic packets, a crusher, and a weighing scale from Gogri’s apartment.

A further inspection of his car led to the discovery of hydro ganja concealed under the seat.

According to officials, the contraband was reportedly smuggled from Thailand through illegal routes by two of Gogri’s friends. During interrogation, Gogri allegedly confessed that he had procured the substance from his friend Sharikh, a resident of Bhandup, who smuggled it from Thailand, and occasionally from Noman, who lives in Ulwe.

He admitted that he intended to sell the drug to local youths in the Kharghar area.

Following the seizure, the Anti-Narcotics Cell registered a case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act at the Kharghar Police Station, leading to Gogri’s arrest.

Police have since intensified their search for the two suppliers linked to the Thailand-based drug network.

“The seized hydro ganja has a clear international trail connected to Thailand. We are tracing the two other suspects involved in this smuggling network,” said Senior Police Inspector Sandeep Nigde of the Anti-Narcotics Cell.

Mumbai: In a fresh twist, it has come to light that deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Datta Nalawade had contacted former education minister Deepak Kesarkar, seeking his help to negotiate with Rohit Arya on October 30 when he had taken 17 children hostage. “If the crime branch summons me for a statement, I will cooperate with the probe,” Kesarkar told this newspaper.

According to police sources, the DCP made the call around 2 pm and requested Kesarkar to speak with the hostage-taker, calm him down and secure the kids’ safe release. However, Kesarkar reportedly avoided a direct conversation with Arya, instead suggesting that Arya’s claim of pending dues could be settled in tandem with the department concerned. When contacted by the Free Press Journal, Kesarkar confirmed receiving a call from the DCP.

“Yes, Nalawade called me that day. However, I did not realise the situation was so grave. I was in a meeting at the time,” he said

The former minister added that Arya’s relief proposal was delayed due to incomplete documentation with the education department. Sources revealed that statements of the ATS officer Amol Waghmare, who fired at Arya, Powai police senior inspector Sonawane, and R A Studio owner Manish Agarwal have been recorded.

Police are also examining the phone and medical history of the dead hostage-taker and trying to ascertain from where he procured the airgun used in the incident. Preliminary findings indicate that Arya had invited several aspiring actors – five from Nanded, one each from Kolhapur, Sakinaka and Borivali, and three from Navi Mumbai – to R A Studio for auditions.