NEW DELHI, Aug 22: US national Kenneth Haywood, who fled Mumbai a week ago to escape investigations by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) for alleged links with last month’s Ahmedabad serial blasts is a member of the American Christian right, news reports said on Friday.

Mr Haywood got a major setback after US Assistant Secretary Richard Boucher said seeking his return was a judicial matter for India.

Times Now TV said the ATS is now investigating Mr Haywood’s links with Abdur Subhan Qureshi alias Tauqir. Tauqir is the tech wizard who is believed to have made the chips used in the Ahmedabad blasts.

The new channel discussed a few theories about why Mr Hawood fled Mumbai. One possible reason is that Tauqir used Haywood’s laptop to send a terror email prior to the blasts. Or, Mr Haywood fled India feeling cornered after realising that he could be subjected to a narco test. And finally, Mr Haywood fled perhaps fearing a probe on his connections to an alleged religious cult of the Christian right.

His company, Campbell White, has issued a statement and put it on their website. In the statement, the company expresses concern about its employees being harassed and also said that everyone should practice basic computer security.

The American national left Mumbai on Aug 18 even as a look out notice was raised against him by the ATS. The threatening e-mail sent by Indian Mujahideen a few minutes prior to the Ahmedabad serial blasts on July 26 was traced to the American national’s internet protocol address in Navi Mumbai.

Three computers from Mr Haywood’s residence were seized and he underwent scientific tests like brain mapping and polygraph tests.

He was cleared as a suspect by ATS officials after reports from the Forensic Science Laboratory in both matters were negative.

“I have no comment on the issue. I do not know the details of the case,” Mr Boucher, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, said. “The case is a judicial matter for India,” he said.