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Syed Zabiuddin Ansari alias Abu Jundal, one of the key handlers behind the 26/11 terror strike in Mumbai that left 166 persons dead, on Sunday made a confessional statement before a Mumbai magistrate. In his confession, Jundal is said to have provided a deep insight into the Lashker-e- Taiba’s role in the 2008 Mumbai strikes. Jundal, 30, was produced before a metropolitan magistrate in his chamber, media reports quoted official sources, as saying. Besides the two, a court clerk was also present during the proceedings. Jundal is said to verbally pleaded before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate P.S. Rathod that he wanted to make a voluntary confession about his role in the attacks. Magistrate Rathod is said to have explained to Jundal the procedure with regard to recording confession under Section 164 of Criminal Procedure Code and also informed him that his confessional statement could be used against him, the sources said. Jundal said that he understood that he was making his confession voluntarily. Jundal is lodged in Mumbai’s Arthur Road jail and is in the custody of the crime branch of the Mumbai Police. Meanwhile, in a related development, the crime branch has picked up Abdul Rafe, a close aide of Jundal for questioning. Police said Rafe was in the Gulf between 2005 and 2008, the period during which he allegedly came into contact with Jundal. Rafe is a resident of Georai Taluka in Maharashtra ’s Beed District. He was running a stationery shop in the Barshi Naka area of Beed when taken into police custody. Rafe has denied involvement in the 26/11 conspiracy.

26/11 handler Abu Jundal makes confessional statement