Mumbai/Delhi: Investigations into the 13/7 attacks appear to be making headway as Maharashtra police’s Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and Mumbai police crime branch have prepared a sketch of the suspect and had circulated it to agencies involved in the investigation.
In another development, a brother of an alleged Indian Mujahideen member died while in police custody on Saturday night hours after being interrogated by the Maharashtra ATS.
After initial probes, the police believe that terrorists may have been planning the attack since February and their operatives may have conducted Headley-style reconnaissance missions to survey the targets.
The state ATS is said to be in touch with their counterparts in Karnataka and other states and also with the Central agencies to pursue the leads. Just as the probe had made some progress, Faiz Usmani, brother of 2008 Gujarat blast suspect Afzal Usmani, died in hospital after being questioned by police in connection with the blasts in Mumbai.  The police have, however, denied that torture was behind the death of Faiz Usmani.
With a preliminary post-mortem report on Sunday evening ruling out external injuries, police said Usmani died of brain haemorrhage and ruled out custodial violence. Faiz is suspected to be behind the Ahmedabad blasts.
Faiz died at 1:30 am while undergoing treatment for hemiparesis and hypertension, doctors at Lokmanya Tilak Hospital at Sion in Central Mumbai said.  Dr Ryan Kumar of the hospital said: “He died due to brain haemorrhage. This condition is usually when a person is exposed to some kind of shock.”
When the suspect was brought here, his blood pressure was in excess of 220 points. And there was a large amount of blood in his brain, explained a medical officer on duty to Deccan Herald. “We conducted all tests on the patient and it was a case of a massive haemorrhage,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Mumbai Police have denied the charge by Faiz’s family of torturing him during questioning. The police have ordered a CID probe into the incident. Joint Police Commissioner (Law and Order) Rajnish Seth here said: “A CID inquiry has been ordered into the death of Usmani by the DGP. The state CID will look into various things that resulted into his death.”
Faiz was taken to hospital after he allegedly fell sick during questioning by the police on Saturday. The police, while denying that they tortured him, admitted Faiz was ill when they brought him for questioning.
Faiz’s family has blamed the Mumbai police and ATS officials for his death, claiming foul play.  His wife Zubeida said “those people who picked Fayaz for questioning are the culprits.”
She said about eight-odd people came to Faiz’s residence at Govandi and took him to Chembur’s crime branch on Saturday. Faiz’s brother Afzal is currently in jail in connection with the Ahmedabad blasts.
The family and neighbours of Faiz corroborate her statement, with a neighbour Salim Siddique saying the suspected Indian Mujahideen operative was well when taken for questioning. In view of the Mumbai blasts and increasing use of ammonium nitrate in explosions, the Centre on Sunday said the chemical would be brought under the purview of the Explosive Substances Act.
“A bill on this is likely to be tabled in Parliament during the monsoon session,” a Home Ministry official said.