The Central intelligence agencies had warned of attacks by the Indian Mujahideen in major cities, including Bangalore, and the input was communicated to the State police forces in the middle of March.
According to sources in the intelligence agencies, Mohammed Salman alias Chotu, an Indian Mujahideen activist arrested by the Uttar Pradesh police in the first week of March, told a joint interrogation team that the outfit had conspired to carry out the attacks with explosive-laden vehicles. Salman, who was allegedly involved in the multiple serial blasts in 2008, revealed that Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore were on the hit list.
The terrorists had planned to target the establishments of the Anti-Terrorist Squad and the Special Task Force in the southern States. Indian Mujahideen had also planned to kidnap prominent personalities for ransom.
A report by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs on the activities of Muslim fundamentalists confirms that some banned organisations had links with Pakistan-based terrorist outfits.
Showing posts with label Indian Mujahideen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Indian Mujahideen. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Monday, April 19, 2010
Stadium attacks herald new Indian Mujahideen offensive
Investigators believe Saturday's bombings at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore were executed by an Indian Mujahideen cell led by Mohammad Zarar Siddi Bawa, police sources told The Hindu.
Karnataka-born Bawa—also known as ‘Yasin Bhatkal'—is allegedly a key figure in a series of urban bombings executed by the Indian Mujahideen between 2005 and 2008 that claimed hundreds of lives.
Bawa, police say, was the organisation's key-bomb maker and his devices were used in the attacks.
Earlier this year, during investigations, he emerged as a key suspect in the bombing of the German Bakery in Pune. Police informants had identified the fair, slight Bawa, dressed in a loose-fitting blue shirt and a rucksack slung over his back, in closed-circuit footage recorded by a camera placed over the cashier's counter at the German Bakery. Witnesses also identified Bawa from photographs shown to them by Pune investigators.
The police sources say there was credible intelligence that he was planning further attacks, but insist there was no information suggesting the M. Chinnaswamy stadium was to be targeted.
The timer-activated improvised explosive devices were similar in design to the devices used in Bangalore. “High humidity in Bangalore because of recent rains may have degraded the ammonium nitrate used to manufacture the bombs, lessening their lethality,” a senior police official told TheHindu. Similar problems had led the nine improvised explosive devices planted in Bangalore in July, 2008, to malfunction.
Bawa was allegedly recruited into the Indian Mujahideen by his childhood friends, Islamist ideologue Iqbal Shahbandri and his brother Riyaz Ismail Shahbandri. Karnataka Police sources say Bawa was a key figure in a meeting held in the summer of 2004 on the beachfront in Bhatkal, where key Indian Mujahideen operatives met for the first time to discuss their operational strategies.
Police in several States have sought Bawa ever since October, 2008, when he escaped a police raid on an Indian Mujahideen safe house near Chikmagalur. Police recovered laboratory equipment, precision tools and five complete improvised explosive devices during the raids.
For at least a year, it has been clear that the Indian Mujahideen has been rebuilding its networks in India. In his testimony to the United States' Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pakistani-American jihadist David Headley spoke of what he called the ‘Karachi Project': a Lashkar effort to raise new networks of Indian jihadists.
Police say Hyderabad-based jihadist Sheikh Abdul Khaja, who was arrested by the Indian authorities in January, had met with key leaders of the Indian Mujahideen in Karachi, including Bawa, the Shahbandri brothers, and gang-lord-turned-jihadist Amir Raza Khan.
Karnataka-born Bawa—also known as ‘Yasin Bhatkal'—is allegedly a key figure in a series of urban bombings executed by the Indian Mujahideen between 2005 and 2008 that claimed hundreds of lives.
Bawa, police say, was the organisation's key-bomb maker and his devices were used in the attacks.
Earlier this year, during investigations, he emerged as a key suspect in the bombing of the German Bakery in Pune. Police informants had identified the fair, slight Bawa, dressed in a loose-fitting blue shirt and a rucksack slung over his back, in closed-circuit footage recorded by a camera placed over the cashier's counter at the German Bakery. Witnesses also identified Bawa from photographs shown to them by Pune investigators.
The police sources say there was credible intelligence that he was planning further attacks, but insist there was no information suggesting the M. Chinnaswamy stadium was to be targeted.
The timer-activated improvised explosive devices were similar in design to the devices used in Bangalore. “High humidity in Bangalore because of recent rains may have degraded the ammonium nitrate used to manufacture the bombs, lessening their lethality,” a senior police official told TheHindu. Similar problems had led the nine improvised explosive devices planted in Bangalore in July, 2008, to malfunction.
Bawa was allegedly recruited into the Indian Mujahideen by his childhood friends, Islamist ideologue Iqbal Shahbandri and his brother Riyaz Ismail Shahbandri. Karnataka Police sources say Bawa was a key figure in a meeting held in the summer of 2004 on the beachfront in Bhatkal, where key Indian Mujahideen operatives met for the first time to discuss their operational strategies.
Police in several States have sought Bawa ever since October, 2008, when he escaped a police raid on an Indian Mujahideen safe house near Chikmagalur. Police recovered laboratory equipment, precision tools and five complete improvised explosive devices during the raids.
For at least a year, it has been clear that the Indian Mujahideen has been rebuilding its networks in India. In his testimony to the United States' Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pakistani-American jihadist David Headley spoke of what he called the ‘Karachi Project': a Lashkar effort to raise new networks of Indian jihadists.
Police say Hyderabad-based jihadist Sheikh Abdul Khaja, who was arrested by the Indian authorities in January, had met with key leaders of the Indian Mujahideen in Karachi, including Bawa, the Shahbandri brothers, and gang-lord-turned-jihadist Amir Raza Khan.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Pune blast: Two persons detained
Two persons with suspected links to Indian Mujahideen were detained by police early Tuesday morning in connection with the February 13 German Bakery blast here.
The suspects were picked up from Janwadi area in Pune and Kudalwadi in the neighbouring industrial township of Pimpri, police sources said.
One of the suspects who were nabbed from Kudalwadi area is believed to have been associated with Indian Mujahideen leader Riyaz Bhatkal during his stay here, they said.
The other suspect from Janwadi locality was reportedly associated with Shabbir Gangawali, a cleric linked with Indian Mujahideen. He was also involved in a fake currency racket.
Pune Police Commissioner Satyapal Singh had on Monday said that investigations into the blast which left nine dead and 60 injured was on the “right track”.
The suspects were picked up from Janwadi area in Pune and Kudalwadi in the neighbouring industrial township of Pimpri, police sources said.
One of the suspects who were nabbed from Kudalwadi area is believed to have been associated with Indian Mujahideen leader Riyaz Bhatkal during his stay here, they said.
The other suspect from Janwadi locality was reportedly associated with Shabbir Gangawali, a cleric linked with Indian Mujahideen. He was also involved in a fake currency racket.
Pune Police Commissioner Satyapal Singh had on Monday said that investigations into the blast which left nine dead and 60 injured was on the “right track”.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Terror suspects approach Court for clubbing of serial blast cases
Suspected Indian Mujahideen (IM) terrorists, accused of triggering serial blasts in five state capitals in 2008, have approached the Supreme Court for clubbing and shifting of the cases to the national capital to ensure speedy trial.
Nine of them, now lodged in central jail at Sabarmati in Gujarat, filed the petition on the ground that their constitutional right to speedy trial was being compromised.
As many as 52 FIRs were lodged against them at Delhi, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra for the serial blasts that had rocked respective capitals in 2008, leaving scores of people dead and injured.
“What to say about speedy trial of petitioners — accused persons, though a period of about more than 18 months have passed, in most of the cases the chargesheets are yet to be filed,” the petition, filed through advocate M S Khan, said.
The petition, which is likely to be listed for hearing on February 22, alleged that it may not be possible for the prosecuting agencies of different states to complete trials during the lifetime of the accused.
Filing of the petition assumed significance in the backdrop of statements of political leaders seeking fast-tracking of trials in the serial blasts cases.
IM suspects, Zia-Ur-Rehman, Mohd. Shakeel, Mohd. Saif, Zeeshan Ahmed, Saqib Nisar, Mohd. Mansoor Asgar Peerbhoy, Mubin Kadar Shaikh, Asif Bashirudding Shaikh and Mohd. Akbar Ismail Chaudhary, have together filed the petition.
They have sought direction to Centre and Governments of Delhi, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh that the blasts cases either be clubbed or be tried at one place like Delhi.
The accused were arrested in 2008 from various places for allegedly triggering serial blasts at Hydrabad, Surat, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Mumbai and Delhi.
“The probe agencies of different states made them soft targets and involved them in all serial bomb blast cases to avoid serious and meaningful investigation and apprehending the real culprits,” the petition said.
About 150 other accused are also to be tried along with the IM suspects, it said.
Separate trials at different places may involve various difficulties such as security of witnesses and accused and number of judges, it said.
“By the petition, petitioners are intending to enforce their right of speedy trial as enshrined under Article 21 of the Constitution, as there is no possibility that trial in all cases would be concluded in near future,” it said.
Maximum 36 FIRs were lodged against them in Gujarat, while eight and seven cases respectively were lodged in Jaipur and Delhi. One FIR was lodged against IM suspects in Mumbai.
If clubbing and shifting of cases were not possible, then a direction be given to the Centre and others to use “latest technology like submitting chargesheets on CDs and DVDs and holding video conferencing,” to avoid lengthy procedures, the petition said.
