Author: Vishwa Mohan
Publication: The Times of India
Date: November 26, 2007
Introduction: 10 Out Of 39 Spy Modules Busted Have Roots In State
UP, which witnessed the most jehadi attacks
outside Jammu and Kashmir in the past three years, is also home to the highest
number of ISI-backed espionage modules, the government has said.
Ten out of 39 such modules busted in the country
during the period had their roots in the state with three being in two cities-Varanasi
and Lucknow-which faced the latest terror onslaught on Friday. The other cities
of UP which have been on security agencies' radar due to existence of ISI
modules are Rampur, Saharanpur, Meerut and Agra.
Though the police have been successful in
busting 10 espionage networks comprising five Pakistani and eight Indian nationals
from these places during 2004-07 (till November 20), the spread of the network
and the recent blasts are clear indications of what these modules were upto.
Incidentally, the figures of UP-pointing to
the spread of the ISI's espionage modules-were disclosed by the government
in the Rajya Sabha on November 21, two days before the serial blasts. Minister
of state for home affairs Sriprakash Jaiswal told the Upper House that 10
ISI-backed espionage modules were neutralised in Agra, Meerut, Varanasi, Rampur,
Lucknow and Saharanpur districts, resulting in the arrest of 13 agents including
five Pakistani nationals. If one looks at the figures for last year released
by the government in Parliament, UP accounts for more than one-fourth of the
total 39 espionage modules busted in the country.
The security and intelligence agencies found
that most Indians arrested in connection with these espionage modules had
direct or indirect links with the banned SIMI. Officials believe that ex-CM
Mulayam Singh Yadav's reluctance to take action against SIMI had contributed
to the spread of the outfit in the state.
Meanwhile, investigations into the court serial
blasts appear to be loosing steam with virtually no breakthrough. With just
no leads in hand, investigators in Lucknow on Sunday picked up the owner of
Faizi Travel Agency in Aminabad to question about his missing brother Tufail
who went untraceable immediately after the 1993 blasts.
"We just wanted to know if there was
any information on his movements in the recent past," SSP Lucknow Akhil
Kumar said. In Faizabad, though the police have quizzed over a dozen persons
who have been allegedly associates with the movements of those involved in
Ayodhya attack, nothing concrete has surfaced.
