Mysore cops to probe terrorists' Kashmir links

BANGALORE: A police team from Mysore will go to Jammu and Kashmir to probe terror links of two suspected Pakistani militants nabbed after a shootout in that city on Friday, a top police official said.
 
"We have formed a six-member investigation team to follow the leads obtained from the arrested militants -- Fahad Hai, 24, and Mohammed Ali Hussain, 25 -- during interrogation and the incriminating material seized from them," Mysore police commissioner Praveen Sood said over the telephone on Saturday.
 
"The team is visiting Kashmir to collect information on their terror networks operating in the northern border state. Documents such as letterheads, correspondence and jehadi literature recovered from their hideout clearly indicate their links with the Pakistan-based Al-Badr militant outfit and its operatives in the Kashmir Valley," he said.

 

The police secured the remand of the two men till November 10 from a local court late on Friday.

 

"The duo will be subjected to narco-analysis and brain-mapping at the Bangalore forensic lab to collect evidence on their mission, background, local contacts and operational plans. We have a lot of ground to cover in such a short time (14 days) to establish their terror links and plot to wage war against India.
 
"Data, including numbers and messages from their cell phones and a satellite phone, have revealed they have been in regular contact with their counterparts to update on their activities or receive orders," Sood said.

 

The investigative team will also visit Kerala to probe Fahad's links in Kochi where he has relatives since his father lived there before migrating to Pakistan and marrying a Pakistani woman and settling in Karachi.

 

"Fahad, an MSc in Chemistry, is an expert in making explosives. He is proficient in English, Hindi, Malayalam and Tamil. Though he entered India on November 30, 2005, on a tourist visa valid for 45 days, he overstayed and failed to appear before the foreigners' regional registration office, which is mandatory.

 

"He sneaked into Mysore early this year (February-March) and joined Ali to carry on their activity such as surveying potential targets for surprise attacks and prepare the field for other militant operations in south India," Sood said on the basis of preliminary investigations carried out so far.
 
The police sealed the Royal Fancy store that the accused were running to camouflage their activities. They also recovered a laptop, diaries, a computer, CDs, and a couple of books, including one on Osama bin Laden.

 

"We have frozen the bank accounts that the duo was operating. We are making inquiries with the local authorities on how they managed to get a ration card and driving licence during the last few months," Sood said.

 

Ali, who hails from Maneshara in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and where the banned outfit Al-Badr is headquartered, entered India four years ago and came to Mysore this summer. His main job was to provide logistic support and coordinate militant activities.

 

The police are on the lookout for three people associated with the two militants.

 

"Investigations are on to find out if any of their accomplices are still within the state or have fled. We have sounded a red alert across the state to keep a close watch on suspicious movement," Sood added.

 

Meanwhile, police in Kerala raided the home of the first wife and family of Fahd's father twice in a few hours and took away some letters and a CD.

 

Fahd's father Abdullah Koya had migrated to Pakistan in 1971, but his first wife and her children still stay here. Fahd is born to Koya's second wife.

 

Around 20 police officials reached the home of Koya's first wife, Mariamm, at around 1.30 am, and were there for more than an hour.

 

The house near Kappad beach belongs to Mariamm and she stays there with her son Muhammed and his family.