In a significant development the Mumbai ATS, while justifying its arrest of Naquee Ahmed Sheikh, prime suspect in the 13/7 Mumbai triple bombings, has told the Centre that Naquee, who was an Intelligence Bureau informer, had in fact double-crossed the intelligence and security agencies.

The Union home ministry had asked the Mumbai ATS, IB and the Delhi Police special cell to give a detailed clarification following reports of a turf war between various agencies that hampered the probe into the 13/7 blasts. It is largely believed that lack of coordination between three agencies led to the escape of the three main suspects — Yasin Bhatkal and Pakistani nationals Waqas and Tabrez.
The ATS, sources claimed, also informed the Central agencies that though Naquee initially did help the Special Cell-IB combine in cracking the Darbhanga module, he deliberately never gave any vital data on Yaseen and the other two. The Mumbai ATS probe hints that Naquee might have even tipped them off, thus enabling them to flee from their Byculla flat in Mumbai. “Naquee deliberately led the agencies to the Byculla flat in November, well after the two managed to flee,” the ATS said.
The call data record of Naquee and another accused, Nadeem Sheikh, also arrested by the ATS, shows the duo were in touch with Yaseen and the two Pakistani nationals till July, after the serial bombings. Naquee’s BlackBerry has been sent for forensic checks of message and mail details.
The ATS is now also probing if Naquee could have been one of the actual bombers, along with Waqas and Tabrez. It told the Centre it had waited for the IB and special cell to complete operations, but once convinced that Naquee was misleading them, the Mumbai ATS picked him up.