Dawood aide Takla sent to CBI custody till March 19: Why his arrest matters

Dawood aide Takla sent to CBI custody till March 19: Why his arrest matters Takla, against whom a Red Corner Notice was issued in 1995, had fled from India after the 1993 Mumbai blasts

Dawood Ibrahim's aide Yasin Mansoor Mohamed Farooq, alias Farooq Takla, wanted in the 1993 Mumbai blasts, was Thursday sent to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) custody till March 19 by a Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) court in Mumbai. He was arrested at an immigration counter at New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport on Thursday morning.

While the CBI declined to comment on how he reached Delhi as an Interpol Red Corner notice was pending against him, officials said Farooq was deported from the UAE with the help of central intelligence agencies and put on a flight to Delhi.

According to the Interpol, the charges against him include criminal conspiracy, murder, attempt to murder, and voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means, among others. Takla had fled from India after the 1993 Mumbai blasts.

According to senior advocate Ujjwal Nikam, the deporting of Yasin Mansoor Mohamed Farooq indicates that diplomatic relations between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and India are going to be stronger in the coming days. He said Takla’s arrest is a “big catch for India”.

The Mumbai blast of March 12, 1993, resulted in 257 fatalities and over 700 were injured. The attacks were planned by Dawood Ibrahim, India's 'most wanted' fugitive, who also has his name prominently figuring on the 'most wanted' lists of the US and the Interpol.

Who is Farooq Takla and why is he wanted Farooq Takla's birth name, according to the Interpol Red Corner Notice issued against him, is Yasin Mansoor Mohamed Farooq. Takla was born in Mumbai on February 17, 1961.

According to the Interpol notice, he is described as being of a "flabby build". He has "protruding eyes" that are set in an "oval face" and he moves with a limp following a fracture in his left leg.

Officials said 57-year-old Takla used to facilitate the travel of men from Dubai to Karachi without immigration checks, for their training in making bombs and use of sophisticated weapons.

Farooq used to send men from Dubai to Karachi and back with the help of Pakistani intelligence agency ISI, claimed Suresh Walishetty, a retired assistant commissioner of police, who was one of the investigating officers in the serial blasts case.

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