The Kolkata Police’s Special Task Force arrested Rajaram Rege (53), a key suspect-turned-approver in the 26/11 terror attack, from his residence in Mumbai’s Mahim on Sunday. Rege is accused of carrying out a recce of Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee’s residence and offices between April 18 and 20.
Police said that Rege used hidden spy cameras to record videos, used a fake name, and collected the mobile numbers of Abhishek and his personal aide Sumit Roy. He then tried to fix appointments with them, claiming to have been sent by an ‘influential politician from outside the state’ for talks with the TMC top leadership.
The STF is investigating the motive behind the recce and the possibility of a ’26/11-type terror attack’ in Kolkata. The security of both CM Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek, who both have Z-plus protection, is being reviewed by the state’s Directorate of Security and Intelligence Branch (IB).
Rege was one of the Mumbai residents who had helped LeT operative David Coleman Headley carry out a recce of the Shiv Sena office. It was Headley’s videos and photos of Mumbai landmarks that helped LeT execute the 26/11 attack. Rege later turned approver in the 26/11 case.
He was flown back to Kolkata on Monday evening and produced before court, which remanded him in police custody till April 29. Kolkata Police said that they had received full cooperation from their Mumbai counterparts.
