Author: ENS & Agencies
Publication: The Indian Express
Date: July 23, 2005
Introduction: Dr Khan from Delhi
was in touch with ultras; police find hideout in Akbarpur, seize SIM card
In the first arrest related to the
terrorist attack on the Ram temple in Ayodhya, the Uttar Pradesh police
today picked up a doctor who used to practise in Delhi and was in regular
touch with the terrorists.
Police have also located a suspected
hideout of the terrorists in Akbarpur.
Dr Irfan Khan, a Unani doctor who
used to practise in Sangam Vihar area of Delhi, was arrested from Nakud
in Saharanpur, inspector genera] of the Special Task Force, Arun Kumar
Gupta said.
Dr Khan had received seven calls
from the terrorists, he said. He has been booked under the Unlawful Activities
Act.
Gupta said one of the terrorists,
Amin Alias Zuber had visited Nakud, the native place of Dr Khan on March
20 to attend the wedding of his cousin. Dr Khan and Zuber then visited
Deoband.
On their way back, they in Muzaffarnagar
with Abdul Rehman, also of Nakud. The IG said the doctor was aware of the
terrorists' plans adding the police were verifying if he visited Akbarpur.
The IG said in another breakthrough,
they have found a hideout of at least two militants in Shahjahanpur area
of Akbarpur.
The two, IG added, took a room on
rent in the house of Ram Asrey in April. They left the place in May and
returned in June.
Among things seized from the room
is a half-burnt driving licence issued in Amritsar in the name of Arshad
Ali.
The licence was used by the militants
as proof of address to buy a SIM card which they used to keep in touch
with their accomplices besides Dr Khan, IG Gupta said.
The IG said they had also seized
wrapper of the bags the militants had bought in Lucknow and used to carry
weapons to the Ram Janmabhoomi complex, a bag of a garment shop in Delhi
and another big bag which might have been used,, to bring weapons from
Panipat. This is besides a torn hand-made map of Ayodhya.
"The militants might have transferred
the weapons in smaller bags in the room and moved to the Ram Janmbhoomi
complex from there," Gupta said.
The neighbours could not give details
about their movement as they used to keep the front door locked and use
the back door.
The IG said one of the terrorists
had identified himself as Ram Singh and introduced the other as his nephew
who used to sell pan masala.
