Godhra carnage-accused nabbed in Madhya Pradesh

After 13 years of absconding, a Godhra carnage-accused was nabbed by the Ahmedabad Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) in Madhya Pradesh.

Who is the accused?

• The accused, Qasam Ibrahim Bhamedi, had been on the run for 13 years, ever since the Godhra carnage incident of 2002.
• Qasam had heard that the ATS had stumbled upon vital links on him, so he had joined a 'jamaat' (religious group) and was travelling all over the country in an attempt to dodge the arrest.

The investigation

• This is the third arrest from Madhya Pradesh within a month in connection with the Godhra carnage. The ATS earlier had arrested two more accused from Shahdol and Jhabua.
• The ATS had intelligence inputs that Qasam had last visited Datia as part of the jamaat. He was nabbed on 28 July while travelling in a train.
• Hussain Suleman Mohhamed was nabbed by the ATS from Jhabua, where he had been hiding for the last 13 years as an auto driver.
• Before arresting Hussain, the ATS had arrested another accused Irfan from Shahdol where he was hiding for the last three years, posing as a carpet seller.

The Godhra incident

• On 27 February, 2002, a group of armed men had intercepted the Sabarmati Express at Godhra station and set one of the bogies on fire after locking the passengers inside. A total of 59 persons died in the incident, triggering communal clashes in Gujarat.