Author: Pioneer News Service
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: March 31, 2006
The interrogation of Pesh Imam of Phoolpur,
Imam Waliullah, who was picked up by sleuths of Special Task Force in connection
with the 3/7 Varanasi terror bombings, has established his links with Jaish-e-Mohammad,
confirmed a senior police official in Lucknow on Thursday.
The Imam was brought to the STF headquarters
in Lucknow for questioning for his alleged role and connection with the perpetrators
of the serial bombings at Sankat Mochan Temple and Varanasi Railway Station
which killed more than 25 people and sent shock waves through the holy temple
town.
Refusing to divulge the details of the outcome
of the grilling of Imam Waliullah, the official said the only thing that can
be made public at this moment is that he now being interrogated by sleuths
of Central intelligence agencies.
On being asked about the decision to detain
and question the Imam which later resulted in a day-long dharna by his sympathisers
at Phoolpur, the official said that soon after the Varanasi blasts, numerous
people with questionable antecedents were put under the scanner by Central
agencies.
"It was during surveillance by the Central
agencies that the Imam's links with Jaish modules were once again highlighted.
Based on the inputs of the Central agencies, the STF was asked to pick him
up for interrogation," said the official. Imam Waliullah had shot into
notoriety following an encounter between STF sleuths and some Jaish operatives
at Gomtinagar in Lucknow in 2001. The STF had gunned down three Jaish operatives
of Pakistani origin while some others were arrested.
Acting on information provided by the arrested
Jaish operatives, a STF team had raided the Imam's house in Phoolpur and recovered
a Kalashnikov rifle, magazines and grenades besides other arms and ammunition.
Two of his brothers, Wasiullah and Ubaidullah, were also arrested and sent
to jail. The official claimed that after coming out on bail, Imam Waliullah
re-established contacts with anti-national elements which has been corroborated
by surveillance carried out by Central intelligence agencies.
Speaking on the road blockade put up by local
residents following the imam's detention, the official said, "The imam
has no dearth of cash. He is financed through Jaish operatives in Jammu &
Kashmir. This he uses to the hilt for wooing poor Muslims. So whenever there
is a raid, the local residents try to pressure the administration by taking
to the streets."
