Mumbai, December 23: State Home Minister R R Patil’s comments about the Bhiwandi riots acted as the final trigger in their plans to blow up Mumbai’s local trains, says 7/11 accused Sajid Ansari in his confession. Ansari is suspected to be one of the bomb makers, who assembled the seven bombs that killed 187 persons on July 11 this year.

In an eight-page confession recorded by Deputy Commissioner of Police S V Mohite on October 25, Ansari admits to making timer devices to set off the bombs. “We were reading about the Bhiwandi riots in the newspapers. Home minister (R R Patil) was quoted as saying ‘Eent ka jawab patthar se denge’ (Brickbats will be retaliated with stones). This news added to our agitation and infused josh (spirit) in all of us. Ehteshaam (another co-accused) said, ‘hum bhi do dinon mein goliyon ka jawab bomb se dene wale hai’ (We will soon retaliate the gunshots with bombs).”

Ansari, owner of a mobile repairing shop in Jogeshwari, was inducted into the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) in 2000, during a programme convened by Shahid Badr, where he emphasised on the significance of jihad for the Muslim conmmunity. Ansari was later arrested while distributing circulars protesting a photograph of the holy Quran being burnt. He was arrested again when the Centre banned SIMI in 2001, but was released on bail.

Ansari met fellow members Faisal Shaikh, Muzammil Shaikh, Asif Khan alias Junaid, Dr Tanvir Ansari, Mohammed Ali, Ehteshaam Siddiqui, Jameer Ansari and Sohail Ansari at SIMI meetings. “We talked about the Gujarat riots, Babri masjid demolition, the Kashmir issue and other atrocities committed against Muslims. We also talked about attending training camps in Pakistan,” said Ansari.

The first time Ansari heard about the 7/11 plan was in February 2006, when prime accused Faisal Shaikh told him about Azam Cheema, the training commander of Lashkar-e-Toiba and his plan to bomb Mumbai’s local trains. Ansari was instructed to prepare seven timer devices for the seven bombs. Accordingly, Ansari started collecting battery, wires, insulation tape, tool kit etc. The final assembling of the bombs took place at co-accused Mohammed Ali’s house in Govandi on July 8, where, “Ehteshaam, Dr Tanvir, Mohammed Ali and two other Pakistanis were present,” claims Ansari.