The police foiled the plot and arrested the three accused for misleading them and handling explosives without permission. (Representational Image)
A PLOT to take revenge and make some money for providing information to police backfired for a Mumbra resident after he and two others were arrested by the Shil Daighar police in Mumbra for misleading the police. Police said that Mahinsa Ganur alias Mahesh, along with two others, had placed 10 kg of ammonium nitrate, 9 detonators and 6 feet of wire in a vehicle belonging to another person whom Ganur wanted to implicate. He then tipped off the police about the explosives. The police foiled the plot and arrested the three accused for misleading them and handling explosives without permission.
An officer linked to the case said that Ganur used to supply four-wheelers to one Ismail Shaikh. Over a period of time Ganur owed money to Shaikh and was not able to repay it. To recover his money, Shaikh had seized one of the four-wheelers used by Ganur. “Ganur was angry with Shaikh since he knew that the latter was economically doing well and did not need to seize the vehicle. He had been waiting for an opportunity strike back at Shaikh,” an officer said.
About six months back, Ganur met Shah Alam Shaikh (32), a police informer. Ganur, who was working at a sand excavation unit at Dombivli, told Shah Alam that due to his work, he had access to ammonium nitrate and detonators. “He asked Shah Alam that if they kept it in a vehicle belonging to Shaikh and tip off the police, would they get money from police for the information. Shah Alam confirmed this and the duo along with one Arif Khan (23) hatched the plot to take revenge on Shaikh and also make some money in the bargain,” the officer said.
The trio then placed the 10 kg ammonium nitrate, 9 detonators and 6 feet of wire in a vehicle belonging to Shaikh on a plot of land owned by him. Shah Alam then ‘tipped off’ Kalyan railway police about the explosives. With Independence Day was approaching and there was a high alert, the railway police also informed the Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS). The teams then swooped down on the Mumbra spot and found the explosives.
“There was no reason for anyone purchasing such explosives to keep it openly. Also Shah Alam kept changing his version of events about how he came to know about the explosives. After sustained interrogation, he broke down and confessed to the plot of trying to implicate Shaikh. Eventually they were placed under arrest,” an officer from Shil Daighar police said.
