Speaking to The Indian Express over phone from Bangalore, joint commissioner (crime) Gopal Hoshur, who had led the team to Pune, said, “We are sure about Gangavali’s links with the Bhatkal brothers and some other arrested IM members. We have nothing concrete yet on his role in the Bangalore blasts.

“In due course, we may bring Gangavali to Karnataka for investigations,” Hoshur added. On whether Gangavali had trained IM cadres and indoctrinated youths into jehadi ideology, Hoshur said, “We are probing it. Nothing is clear now.” The Pune unit of the state ATS had arrested Gangavali on December 30 in Janwadi area. Police recovered counterfeit notes worth Rs 25,000 from him. It was suspected that Gangavali, of Bhatkal village in Karnataka, was a close aide of IM founders Riyaz and Iqbal Bhatkal and was involved in the blasts in Bangalore and other places.