Imam arrested for LeT links

Author: Somit Sen
Publication: The Times of India
Date: January 15, 2006

Introduction: Haj house mosque cleric grilled for three days, fears of second terror module in city

In a move which points to the widening web of terror in India, police have arrested an imam of the prestigious Haj House Masjid for suspected links with the Lashkar-e-Taiba, the group which has emerged as the biggest threat in southern and western India following last month's Bangalore attack.

The arrest of the 44-year-old Maulana Ghulam Yahya Baksh late on Friday night by the anti-terrorist squad (ATS) is likely to lead the police to a south Mumbai politician, who sources said, was a key financier of terror operations. Baksh is the fourth suspected LeT member to be arrested from Mumbai since a crackdown began after a suspected Lashkar gunman sprayed bullets at a gathering of scientists in Bangalore.

The politician, who intelligence sources said is deeply connected with the underworld, is suspected to have funded militant groups through the imam. At least Rs 40 lakh is believed to have passed through him in the last year to terrorists in Kashmir, sources said.

The arrest of the Maulana, who came to Mumbai from 24 Parganas in West Bengal, also lifted the veil off a second terror module being formed for a possible strike in Mumbai. "This module was assigned the task of bringing in explosives into Mumbai by the LeT northern commander Salauddin. This is serious and we are working on the information," a senior police officer told TOI. Syed Salauddin is based in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

The first LeT module was busted with the arrest of three men from Nagpada on January 6. The ATS believes the Maulana could lead the police to other modules as he was the key "contact man" for LeT modules deployed by Salauddin to Mumbai.

The Maulana was detained three days ago, as reported by TOI, but the arrest was delayed because of Eid. "It was a sensitive issue and we did not want to arrest the imam during Eid," an officer said.

Baksh was produced before a holiday court on Saturday afternoon and remanded to police custody till January 24. He has been booked under sections 16 (conniving), 18 (conspiring) and 19 (harbouring terrorists) of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). The Maulana lives with his wife and three children at 193, Lokhandwala building on Devji Street, off Mohammed Ali road.

The ATS had the imam under its scanner for a month. He is believed to have travelled to various cities and come to Mumbai in 1994 and was appointed the imam of the Haj House Masjid near Crawford market two years later. "It is a prestigious job as the imam leads those who offer namaz at this masjid. People from all over the country visit the Haj house," an officer said.

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