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Israeli envoy attack: Iran militia plotted with Kazmi

July 31, 2012 23:29 IST

The Delhi police probe into the February 13 terror bombing on Israeli envoy Tal Yehoshua's car in New Delhi has revealed that journalist Syed Mohammad Kazmi had plotted it in collusion with members of a military arm -- Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps, including one Syed Ali Mahdiansadr.

The chargesheet of the special cell of the Delhi police, filed on in the court of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Vinod Yadav, said that Kazmi, during his interrogation, had revealed that about a decade back, while he was in Iran, he came in contact with one Syed Ali Mahdiansadr and other members of Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps.

"And since then, off and on, he has worked in close cooperation with them," reads a copy of the Letter Rogatory, given to the Delhi police by court to facilitate its probe into the terror bombing case, spread across various countries. The contents of the Letter Rogatory has also been included in the police chargesheet, said a police official, involved in the probe.

He added that the police is still probing the case and is likely to file another charge sheet in the case before soon.

As per the Letter Rogatory, Kazmi has confessed to the police that he had gone to Iran in January 2011 on the call of Mahdiansadr and had meeting with him and one Mohammadreza Abolghashemi and they discussed the alleged attack on Iranian scientists by Israelis. It was in those meeting that targeting of Israeli envoys in India and elsewhere were discussed, said the Letter Rogatory, the contents of which were also reproduced in the chargesheet.

For facilitating Iranians attack on Israeli diplomat, Kazmi was also paid $5,500 in two installments by Mahdiansadr.

In its chargesheet, the police said journalist Kazmi was also in touch with one Houshang Afshar Irani, who had executed the terror attack on Yehoshua's car and Kazmi helped him.

Kazmi was in contact with Irani during his visit to Delhi in May 2011 said the chargesheet adding that they both conducted a recce the Israeli embassy and its surrounding areas on a scooty.

The scooter was later recovered from the residence of Kazmi, who said the same was given to him for safekeeping and for further use, if needed. A Maruti Alto car, which was also used by them, was also recovered from Kazmi's house.

The chargesheet also said the police has recovered the part of money received by Kazmi for his assistance in executing the terror plot. It also obtained details of documents regarding stay of Mehndisadr along with Reza and Mahdian in a hotel Regent International in New Delhi, where Kazmi met them in May 2011.

It said that while Irani, on the one hand was in touch with Kazmi through mobile phone, on the other hand, he was in contact with Sedaghatzadeh Masoud and Syed Ali Mahdiansadr.

Irani, Sedaghatzadeh, Mahdiansadr and one Mohammadreza Abolghashemi, have been named as suspects in the chargesheet.

The analysis of call details of mobile number belonging to Sedaghatzadeh revealed that he was in contact with an Indian mobile number on April 25, May 4, 5 and 6, 2011 and January 29, 2012.

The call details of the Indian number showed that it was activated in the name of Iranian national Houshang Afshar Irani. The probe revealed that Irani's number was also logged in Georgia on June 25, 2011 and then again logged in India on January 29, 2012 and was switched off on February 13, 2012, the day of attack on the Israeli diplomat. It was also found that Irani had contacted an Indian number, which was found to be that of Kazmi.