During Wani’s interrogation, the names of Tariq Kashmi and Khalid Mujaheed — the two accused in the court blasts case and currently lodged in jail— had appeared but the police did not arrest them.

The UP Special Task Force (STF) informed the state Home Ministry about the appearance of the duo’s name in Wani’s interrogation after Congress MLA Pramod Tewari had sought information about them from the government.

In spite of getting information about the involvement of Tariq and Khalid in militant activities, the UP STF did not swing into action. SSP (STF) Amitabh Yash confirmed the information but refused to explain the reason behind STF’s delayed move.

Sources said that after the blasts, the STF started suspecting the duo’s involvement in it on the basis of the same interrogation report.

Wani, a resident of Bankoot in J-K’s Doda district, was arrested in December 2006. During interrogation, Wani said Khalid and Tariq had promised to help him deliver arms and hawala money.

Wani met a 16-year-old boy Raqueeb in Delhi who in turn introduced him to Khalid, a student at a madrasa in Amroha in UP. “Both Khalid and Raqueeb had showed their eagerness to work for the cause of Islam in Kashmir,” a source said quoting the interrogation report. In the last week of November 2006, just weeks before his arrest, Wani tried to contact Khalid who had shifted to his native home in Jaunpur. Wani visited him in Jaunpur. They discussed ways to supply weapons and delivery of hawala money.

Later, Khalid and Wani met Tariq Kashmi at his Unani Dawakhana in Azamgarh. “Tariq had agreed to arrange delivery of hawala money for Wani,” the source added.