Hyderabad cops in UP to probe terror link

A team of the Hyderabad police is in Lucknow [ Images ] following a statement by the Uttar Pradesh police on the similarities between the blasts in the state and in Hyderabad.

The Hyderabad police will hold talks with their Uttar Pradesh [ Images ] counterparts and also interrogate Mohammad Tariq, a Harkat Ul-Jihadi operative who was arrested in connection with the November 23 UP serial blasts.

Mohammad Tariq was arrested in the Kashmir [ Images ] valley a week back.

Intelligence Bureau officials say HuJI had sought to divert investigators' attention from its involvement in the blasts by sending out mails in the name of a pseudo organization -- Indian Mujahideen [ Images ].

"There was growing international pressure on the outfit and they had to divert attention before a major crackdown could have taken place," an IB officer said.

The Hyderabad police would also be keeping a close tab on the activists of the banned outfit, SIMI [ Images ].