train accidents in India

train accident in Kanpur

three accused arrested in Motihari

failed Ghorasahan track blasting attempt

ISI agent Shamshul Huda, mastermind of Kanpur train derailment, arrested in Nepal

NEW DELHI: Shamsul Huda, the alleged Dubai-based mastermind behind an alleged ISI-backed plot to causeby planting IEDs on the railway tracks, has been arrested in Nepal Huda was arrested by the Nepalese police after he was deported from Dubai.Confirming the arrest, a senior NIA official on Tuesday described Huda's arrest as a big breakthrough in its investigation into three cases handed over to it recently - the failed attempt to detonate an IED on the tracks in East Champaran as well as the suspected sabotage angle behind Indore-Patna Expressand the Koneru train accident. NIA is already in touch with Nepalese authorities and will seek access to Huda for questioning.The NIA has prima facie found the Bihar police's line of investigation pointing to an ISI-backed sabotage plot to cause train mishaps in India, to be correct and is probing further.Sources told TOI that the- Motilal Paswan, Umashankar Patel and Mukesh Yadav - had, during their recent questioning by NIA sleuths, repeated their claims of a sabotage angle in both theas well as the Kanpur derailment."There are no contradictions whatsoever in what they had told the Bihar police earlier and now the Central agencies. They seem to be very sure of and consistent in their 'disclosures'. Also, technical evidence points to conversations between the arrested accused on the one hand and Nepalese handler Brij Kishore Giri, Dubai-based mastermind Shamsul Huda as well as Karachi-based suspected ISI agent Shafi Shaikh on the other, lending credence to the ISI involvement theory," said a home ministry officer.Brij Kishore Giri is currently under arrest in Nepal along with two other suspects.Sources following the investigation told TOI that Umashankar Patel, one of the three accused arrested by Bihar Police, had spoken to both Shamsul Huda and Shafi Shaikh while the two masterminds were together in Dubai in August, after being put in touch with them by Brij Kishore Giri."They discussed conspiracy to cause train accidents in India by planting IEDs on the tracks. The discussion was general in nature and did not raise any specific mention of the impending sabotage plans for Ghorasahan or Kanpur," said an officer."That they were in direct touch with Huda as well as an alleged Karachi-based kingpin having links with the ISI, has led NIA to strongly suspect an ISI angle to the alleged sabotage involving passenger trains in India," said an NIA officer.