Godhra carnage's key accused Islamic terrorist held

Godhra train carnage accused held in Munabao

Vimal Bhatia, TNN 24 August 2009

JAISALMER: Ibrahim Dhantiya, a key accused in the Godhra train burning case who is believed to have fled to Pakistan after the Gujarat riots, was  arrested from Munabao border railway station in Rajasthan on late Saturday night, immigration officials said.

Immigration officers said on Sunday that they apprehended Dhantiya, who was accompanied by his wife, when he alighted from the Thar Express at the Munabao station in Barmer district bordering Pakistan. Dhantiya, a resident of Panchmahals district (Godhra is the headquarters of the district) in Gujarat, was coming from Pakistan. The Thar Express runs between Karachi and Jodhpur.

Panchmahals SP J R Mothaliya told TOI that Dhantiya’s name figured in the investigation into the Sabarmati Express fire, which killed 58 people, three days after the incident. “He was mentioned as a member of the core group, which planned the Godhra conspiracy,” said Mothaliya.

The Godhra incident triggered the riots in 2002. Dhantiya had been absconding ever since.

A look-out circular had been issued against Dhantiya when he fled from India allegedly by Samjhauta Express and took shelter in New Karachi of Pakistan in August 2004. Immigration officers claimed that the ISI had given him shelter in Pakistan.

Hetudan Charan, an immigration officer at the Munabao police station told TOI that when the passports of Dhantiya and his wife were examined, it was discovered that his passport had expired in 2007. “He had tampered with the year entry and extended the validity of the passport to 2017,” said Hetudan. “His wife was released as there was no case against her.” Sources said a team of Godhra’s GRP was on its way to Jodhpur to take custody of Dhantiya.