Nepalese police have arrested two Pakistanis and are investigating whether the duo has any link with the Mumbai train blasts which claimed over 200 lives.

Aftar Moiddin Siddiqui and Gulam Hussain Cheema were arrested from a five-star hotel in the outskirts of Kathmandu on Wednesday night, superintendent of police at the Kathmandu district police office, Dhak Bahadur Pun, said on Thursday. Siddiqui was earlier arrested in connection with the seizure of 16 kg of RDX in April 2001 from a Pakistani diplomat, who was staying at a house rented by Cheema in Kathmandu, the police official said.

However, police could not arrest Cheema at that time as he fled from the scene as soon as it raided the house. The diplomat also escaped due to immunity and later he was asked to leave Kathmandu.

Acting on a tip-off, a team of police arrested Siddiqui and Cheema from a room of the hotel and investigation was being carried out in the matter, he said.

However, police said: "We area investigating whether they have any link with the Mumbai blasts," the police official said when asked if there is any link.

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