Four people associated with the banned Students Islamic Movement of India were arrested on Thursday in connection with the Ahmedabad [Images] serial blasts, which claimed 55 lives.

Ahmedabad Blasts

Those arrested are Abbas Sameja, Naved Kadri, Aiyaz Saiyeed, Javed Ahmed, police said, adding that apart from Abbas who is from Kutch, the other three belong to Ahmedabad.

"We have arrested four SIMI [Images] men who were involved in the city serial blasts," Joint Commissioner of Police of Crime Branch Ashish Bhatia, who is investigating the case, said.

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Abbas, who works as instructor in a private health club, had sold a house, which was purchased in Bhuj by SIMI in 2001, and provided the money to partly finance the serial blasts in the city, police said.

He has been involved with the SIMI from 2001 and had attended the Halol terror training camp organised by the banned outfit in January 2008, under a fake name.

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Naved, another active SIMI worker, was present during the planning meetings for the serial blasts.

"Naved had played a key role in the planning and execution of the serial blasts. He was very close to blasts mastermind Mufti Abu Bashir," said a police source.

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Aiyaz, another arrested, is one of the planters of the bombs in different areas of the city. Police said he had planted the bombs mounted on cycles in different parts of the city including Naroda Gam area on the instruction of one Qayamuddin, who is absconding.

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