India's 'Bin Laden' and 2008 Gujarat blasts mastermind nabbed after brief encounter

New Delhi : The founding member of Indian Mujahideen Abdul Subhan Qureshi, also known as India's 'Bin Laden', was arrested by Delhi Police on Monday after a brief encounter in Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur, Special Cell officials told media.

The investigations agencies and police department had been keeping an eye over him since last one decade after learning his alleged involvement in 2002 serial blasts in Gujarat.

"A three-member special team of the Delhi Police was following his movement. On Saturday, we came to know that he was going to meet his old associate in Ghazipur. After a brief encounter, we arrested him," Pramod Kushwah, DCP, Special Cell told mediapersons.

Apart from Gujarat Blasts, Qureshi is also suspected to be involved in Delhi, Bengaluru attacks along with the 2006 Mumbai train blasts, which killed over 200 people.

Qureshi had been living in Nepal and Saudi Arabia for years before he came back to India with a motive of strengthening Indian Mujahideen.

"He came to India after he realized that most of the leadership of SIMI was killed in action or were arrested by intelligence agencies. He wanted to revive Indian Mujahideen in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh," Kushwah said.

According to a report by India Today, Qureshi was carrying a bounty of Rs 4 lakhs on his head.

Qureshi used to work as an engineer in an IT firm before he was recruited by the SIMI in 1998, The Times of India reported.