Author: Abhishek Sharan
Publication: Hindustan Times
Dated: May 22, 2006
Mumbai Police's Anti-Terrorist Squad has struck
again. Another suspected SIMI activist was arrested from Aurangabad on Saturday
night.
Interrogation of Sayyed Aquib Sayyed Zafarauddin
Biyabani - who was remanded to police custody till May 24 by a city metropolitan
court on Sunday - has revealed that Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi is
the group's target Number One.
Investigations have further revealed that
this group could have been acting on instructions of their "handlers"
based in Pakistan.
For the ATS, Biyabani's arrest may turn out
to be the "most vital" of the 11 arrests they have made so far.
The reason, according to ATS chief K.P. Raghuvanshi, is: "He is a very
close associate of the group's leader and mastermind, Zahibuddin Ansari (32)
who is on the run".
"During interrogation, Biyabani and a
few others,have clearly said their prime target was Narendra Modi. Modi is
in severe danger right now," said an ATS source. Elaborating on the "Pakistani
link" in the case and Biyabani's proximity to Zahibuddin, ATS officers
said: "Both of them had recently gone to Nepal to meet a very important
Pakistani contact who could be their handler".
Though the ATS didn't reveal the exact identity
of this Pakistani man, there are indications that he is an ISI operative or
is a top-ranking operative of a Kashmiri jihadi outfit.
Biyabani and Zahibuddin, say sources, have
also made several trips to Bangladesh. Both Nepal and Bangladesh were the
chosen meeting places between the Pakistani handlers and the suspects as Pakistan
is wary of leaving behind proof of their involvement in stoking unrest in
India.
From the investigation details so far, it
appears that besides the group's Pakistani link, it has strong contacts with
Kashmiri jihadi out-fits, specially Lashkar-e-Tayyeba. The ATS is analysing
the details of the calls made by these suspects. "They had been making
calls to Nepal, Bangladesh and also to certain men in Kashmir.
The ATS also tned to ascertain if the group
had any links with the Bangladeshi terror outfit, Hizb-I-Islami; but so far
the needle of suspicion points towards Kahsmiri jehadi outfits. Though a source
was apprehensive that "Zahibud din might have crossed the borders al
ready", Biyabani arrest would lead the ATS closer to nabbing their prime
target. Over the past two weeks, the ATS has seized a huge cache of arms,
ammunition and explosives from these suspected SIMI members. With Biyabani's
arrest, the total number of those taken into custody has gone up to 12.
