Cop killer Viqar held

In a major breakthrough, the city police on Wednesday arrested Syed Viqaruddin Ahmed alias Viqar, a terror suspect who is wanted for shooting to death a constable and a home guard on the anniversaries of the Mecca Masjid blast.Viqar had also injured several policemen in a series of shooting incidents and is suspected to have links with terrorist groups in Pakistan.

Police recovered three short barrel guns, four pistols, 35 live rounds, one dagger and a couple of motorcycles from his possession and also arrested his accomplices, Syed Amjad alias Suleman, Zakir, Dr Haneef, Riaz and Sayeed.

Counter Intelligence Cell officials traced Viqar after picking up Mohammad Hafeez, a doctor from Kaladhar Nagar in Muhseerabad, on Sunday. During interrogation, he reportedly confessed to have given shelter to Viqar following which the police arrested him. Viqar was staying at Hafeez’s house secretly.

Viqar, a native of Old Malakpet, came under the scanner after police learnt that he agreed to provide logistic support to the proposed terrorist camp organised by the SIMI at Ananthagiri Hills in Vikarabad.

“Following the Mecca Masjid blasts on May 18, 2007 and subsequent killing of five protestors in police firing, Viqar vowed to take vengeance on the police,” said the city police commissioner, Mr A.K. Khan.

For this, he got separated from DJS and set up a self styled outfit, Tahreek Galba-e-Islam (TGI), and shot down one cop each in the last two anniversaries.

Two Counter Intelligence policemen were injured when they tried to arrest Viqar on December 3, 2008, at Santhoshnagar after two persons accompanying him opened fire at them. Head constable Ram Raju was seriously injured.

On the second anniversary of the blast (May 18, 2009), Viqar along with his accomplice Amjad fired at a police picket in Falaknuma, killing a home guard, Mr K. Balaswamy, and injuring a constable, Mr T. Rajendra.

On May 18 this year Viqar opened fire on a police picket deployed at Volga hotel in Shahali Banda. Mr Ramesh, a constable of Andhra Pradesh Special Police (APSP), died while two others injured in the incident.

“They also killed a police constable in Ahmedabad when he tried to stop them from committing robbery at a bank,” said Mr Khan. “We are reconstructing the events to collect strong evidence. We will conduct an identification parade and are also analysing the spent cartridges and the seized ammunition.”