Author: Mohammed Shafeeq, Indo-Asian
News Service
Publication: Yahoo News
Date: January 11, 2004
URL: http://in.news.yahoo.com/040111/43/2au8h.html
Police here claim that the four
Muslim youths arrested for plotting to kill Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
leaders had links with Pakistan-based terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammed.
Police Commissioner R.P. Singh said
the youths, instigated by Jaish activists based in Saudi Arabia, had plotted
to kill BJP Andhra Pradesh president N. Indrasena Reddy and vice- president
Baddam Bal Reddy ahead of a BJP meet that began here Sunday.
Singh said Moahmmed Abdul Quader
Pasha, Mohammed Abdul Raheem, Mohammed Zahed and Ibrahim Ali Junaid were
arrested in Hyderabad during the last two days.
He also claimed that a homemade
revolver, gelatine sticks and 10 detonators were recovered from the arrested.
The accused reportedly told the
police that Abdul Quader had come to Hyderabad from Siddipet in Medak district
to meet his friends to plot the elimination of BJP leaders.
The police raided a plastic moulding
company here and arrested the other three. They also recovered the xerox
copy of the photos of Jaish leader Masood Azhar and a video of the killings
of Muslims in Gujarat.
The accused reportedly admitted
to the police that they were acting at the behest of the Pakistan trained
militants Shahed alias Bilal, Farhatullah Ghori, Abu Sufian, Zakir-ur-Rahman,
all of who belong to Hyderabad and live in Saudi Arabia.
Police claimed they had undergone
military training in Pakistan and that Shahed was related to Abdul Rawood,
an accused in the killing of former Gujarat home minister Haren Pandya.
Indrasena Reddy told IANS that the
terrorists were plotting to kill him because he had always sought firm
action against Pakistani agents.
The police have also arrested two
more youths, Farhan and Khaja, accusing them of planning to create trouble
during the Ganesh festival last year.
Muslim political and religious leaders
have strongly protested against the arrest of "innocent" youths. They have
urged the police to stop the "harassment" of young Muslims.