Mohd Saif wrote about possibility of planning the escape of IM operatives in Sabarmati jail.
In a shocking revelation, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) found that arrested Indian Mujahideen (IM) terror suspect Mohammad Saif, who is lodged inside the Sabarmati jail in Gujarat, managed to send handwritten letters to IM founder Riyaz Bhatkal and two others in Pakistan. The agency stumbled upon this information during the interrogation of IM co-founder Yasin Bhatkal and his accomplice Asadulla Akhtar alias Haddi, who were arrested by the NIA from Nepal in August.
Sources said Saif sent three letters to Riyaz Bhatkal, Dr Shahnawaz and Bada Sajid in January. Shockingly, the letters reached the three people who are all based in Karachi and enjoying protection from the Lashkar-e-Taiba. “It exposes the poor security measures by the jail administration,” said a central intelligence officer.
The investigation into the incident has revealed that Saif — Dr Shahnawaz’s brother — wrote to him, Riyaz and Bada Sajid to arrange for the escape of IM terror suspects lodged in Sabarmati jail. In his letter, Saif wrote that the jail is comparatively easy to break and that escape is possible.
There are 65 undertrials lodged in Sabarmati jail, including 14 IM terror suspects who were arrested for their alleged role in the July 2008 Gujarat serial bomb blasts.
The matter came to light when Haddi, during his interrogation, told NIA that a few weeks before his arrest, he was having an online chat with Dr Shahnawaz and senior IM leader Shadab Baig on a social media website.
Haddi said he asked Baig if he had any connection in Delhi’s Tihar jail because he wanted to get in touch with Yasin’s father-in-law Mohammad Irshad Khan, who was lodged there after being arrested in 2011. During this conversation, Baig told Haddi that Dr Shahnawaz’s brother Saif is lodged in Sabarmati jail and that he had sent letters from the prison to Pakistan, a source told dna. Haddi and Yasin were holed up in Nepal when this conversation took place.
Sources said during his interrogation, Yasin also confirmed to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) about the online conversation. NIA is believed to have retrieved the entire online conversation and will be informing the authorities concerned about the letters written by Saif and sent to Pakistan.
Incidentally, a month after Saif wrote the letters, Sabarmati jail authorities unearthed a major escape plan by IM suspects. An 18-foot-long tunnel had been found inside the jail premises, which was allegedly dug up by IM suspects over two months. They were planning to escape from the prison by connecting the tunnel to a sewage line situated outside the boundary wall of the jail.
However, the plan was thwarted by jail officials.
Planning to flee
IM terrorist Mohammad Saif — lodged in Sabarmati jail — in January wrote letters to his brother Dr Shahnawaz, Riyaz Bhatkal and Bada Sajid, who were all in Pakistan. He wrote it was easy to escape from jail.
Month after he wrote the letter, the jail authorities thwarted an escape plan by IM terrorists. They had dug up an 18-foot-long tunnel.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}