Mohammad Irfan Qureshi, on the run for 13 years, was nabbed from a village in Shahdol district on receiving a tip-off about his presence there, an Anti-Terrorism Squad release said. (Representational Image)
A local court today sent a 2002 Godhra serial blasts case accused to 12 days of CID (Crime) custody.
Fifth Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate LM Rathod sent Mohammad Irfan Qureshi, an accused in the blasts case, to the custody of CID while acting on its plea that sought his 15-day remand for interrogation.
On Tuesday, the court had handed over Qureshi's custody to CID (Crime) from Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) which had arrested him on Monday.
CID filed a petition today stating that they need to interrogate Qureshi about the incident on whether any other person was involved in the blasts case, which killed three persons and injured many others.
CID has also submitted in the plea that they need to interrogate the accused about the source of materials that were used in the bombs.
Qureshi, who is in his 40s, is accused of playing a key role in the multiple explosions. He had been on the run for the last 13 years.
Qureshi, originally from Bulandshahr district in Uttar Pradesh, lived in Godhra town where he made a living by selling rugs.
After the Godhra train burning incident and the riots that had followed, he came in contact with Yusuf Gheeteli and allegedly hatched a plan to carry out bomb blasts to take revenge for the killing of Muslims in the riots.
He later went to Mathura from where he sent various materials used to make bombs to Godhra by wrapping them in rugs. After coming back to Godhra, he trained other accused in bomb-making, ATS claims.
Qureshi and others planted and detonated bombs in five places -- a bus in Godhra, one in a parked scooter in Mehlol village near Godhra, one in a scooter in nearby Lunavada town, one in a bike in Delol village of Panchmahal district and the fifth one inside a bus in Thasra village of Kheda district.
Qureshi had then fled to his hometown in UP while all other 12 accused were apprehended. According to Madhya Pradesh police, Qureshi was living in Shahdol for the last three years, where he made a living by selling bedsheets and quilts.