Suspected LeT terrorist involved in 2000 Red Fort attack held In Delhi

The suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative involved in the 2000 attack on the Red Fort in New Delhi was arrested on Wednesday in a joint operation by the Delhi Police and Gujarat ATS, police sources have said.

The Delhi Police arrested  Bilal Ahmed Kawa on a tip-off from the Gujarat Anti-terrorist Squad (ATS) and kept him in a special cell in Delhi for further questioning.

Kawa, who was suspected to have links with Lashkar-e-Toiba, was arrested in the evening from the T-3 terminal of the Delhi Airport, police said.

Kawa, 37, a proclaimed offender in the case, has been on the run since 2000 and was hiding in Kashmir, police said, adding that he was arrested on information that he was travelling from Srinagar to Delhi.

Three people, including two Army jawans, were killed in the 22 December 2000 Red Fort attack.

Kawa's name had cropped up during a trial to convict the alleged accused of the terror attack was going on in court. Kawa is reported to have transferred  Rs29.50 lakh through hawala in various bank accounts, including those of Kawa, to fund the attack.

This amount was alleged to have been deposited by Mohammed Aarif through hawala.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) P S Kushwah said Kawa was arrested around 6 pm.

Earlier, terrorist Mohammad Arif alias Ashfaq, who was convicted in the case, had been awarded death sentence.

"The responsibility of the attack was claimed by the Lashkar-e-Toiba who had even given financial aid to Aarif," added the senior official. The High Court had convicted eleven accused in the case.