Two of alleged terrorist module were sent to Pakistan for training

Delhi Police officers investigating an alleged Pakistan-backed terror module, which was busted last Tuesday, have said that at least two of the six suspects were chosen for training in Pakistan owing to their good academic background.

An officer who is privy to the investigation said Zeeshan Qamar and Osama alias Sami were sent to Pakistan to receive training in handling explosives and planning. Zeeshan was pursuing his MBA in finance through distance learning; and Osama was a final year graduation student at Allahabad University. The other four suspects were school dropouts or illiterates, which would have made it difficult for them to pass off as someone else in disguise, the officer said.

On Tuesday, Delhi police announced the arrest six people — Jaan Mohammad Shaikh (47), Osama alias Sami (22), Moolchand alias Saaju (47), Zeeshan Qamar (28), Mohamed Abu Bakr (23), and Mohammed Amir Javed (31) – and claimed to have averted serial blasts in at least three states and targeted killings. The six men were arrested on Monday from Delhi, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

“Only Zeeshan and Osama are educated and could pass off as different persons in disguise. Zeeshan completed his B Com from Allahabad University. He was married recently during the lockdown. Compared to the these two, Jaan Mohammad is Class 5 dropout; Abu Bakr studied up to Class 7; Moolchand failed in Class 12 and Amir Javed studied only Arabic till high school. It appears that these four were to be used merely as foot soldiers. Meanwhile Osama and Zeeshan were trained to make improvised explosive devices, conduct reconnaissance and plan the blasts, the first officer, who asked not to be named, said.

Zeeshan’s father, Qamaruz Zaman in his statement to reporters a day after Zeeshan’s arrest denied that his son had gone to Pakistan. He also denied his son’s involvement with Pakistani agencies, and said that nobody in his family has any criminal record.\

Delhi Police on Tuesday claimed that Zeeshan and Osama were taken to Pakistan from Oman on April 22 via sea route. Police have claimed that the serial blasts were planned by Pakistan’s Inter Services Intelligence(ISI). Police alleged that the two men were trained in a town called Jioni (near Gwadar port, Pakistan). Police said that of the three men, there were two who wore military uniform.

All the six men are currently in 14-days judicial custody. On Monday (September 20), it will be a week since police started questioning the six men.

A second police officer, who too asked not to be named, said it appeared Delhi resident Osama is one of the key men among the six.

“Osama’s uncle Baidur-Rehman was arrested in Uttar Pradesh. Osama’s father, who is not in India, too is a suspect. It was Osama’s uncle Baidur, who handed RDX to Zeeshan. Baidur and Zeeshan were also partners in the dates business that they had started recently. Osama and Zeeshan were also the only ones to be trained in Pakistan. Another arrested suspect, Amir Javed is also a relative of Osama. We have another week to interrogate them and get more details,” said a second officer.

Source: Hindustan Times