DCB officials said that the SIMI leaders used the rhetoric of Jihad and the urgent need to bring back Islamic rule in the country to motivate youths to join the ranks.

Joint Commissioner of Police Ashish Bhatia said the conspirators of the Ahmedabad blasts had successfully indoctrinated a large number of youths to join the outfit.

He said the places where the bombs were planted were also selected on the basis of the communal history of the area. “It was easy for the conspirators to scout youths to plant the bombs in areas which had the potential of a communal flare,” he added.

According to the DCB, around 50 people were involved in planting bombs across Ahmedabad for the July 26 blasts.

DCB officers further said that SIMI leaders Safdar Nagori, Mufti Abu Bashir and Abdul Subhan alias Tauqeer used to visit the state and Ahmedabad quite regularly. Several local youths would be called for some informal meetings at the residence of the local SIMI leaders, where they would be motivated to indulge in Jihad and be a fidayeen, he added.

“During the meetings, the SIMI leaders told the youngsters that indulging in Jihad would allow them to live with the god after their death,” Bhatia added.

He further said that all youths who had attended the SIMI terror camps in and outside the state were recruited to the outfit after attending such meetings in the city.