LUCKNOW: The two ISIS terror suspects — Asif Iqbal (26) and Mohammad Atif (27), picked up by NIA and UP police from Kanpur in a joint operation on Tuesday, were sent to jail as district judge R K Upadhyay of the designated district court remanded them to judicial custody till August 24. The duo was held for allegedly planning terror acts.
Asif Iqbal is the cousin of Saifullah, the slain ISIS ultra who was killed in an encounter with UP ATS cops on the outskirts of Lucknow on March 7. However, the families of Asif Iqbal and Mohammad Atif, residents of Chakeri area of Jajmau in Kanpur, claimed that the two had visited offices of intelligence agencies in Lucknow at least six times before being formally arrested. The police sources confirmed that the two were on their radar since Saifullah’s killing.
While Asif is Saifullah’s cousin, Atif stayed in the same locality. Both are believed to be a cell of ISIS Khorasan module in Kanpur and were under scanner of NIA.
Confirming their involvement in terror plots, NIA sleuths claimed to have incriminatory evidence against the duo to support the arrests in the court of law.
According to the case registered by NIA, while Atif was charged with supplying arms and ammunition to the members of Kanpur-based Khorasan module, Asif took oath of allegiance.
Both the suspects were booked under various sections related to waging war against the state.
Atif’s elder brother Aquib, however, wondered the delay in the arrests if the cops were keeping an eye on the activities of Asif and Atif for the last five months.
“Atif is an embroidery worker I want to ask the security agencies why were they not arrested in March itself when alleged Khorasan module was busted with the arrest of more than half a dozen persons in March.”
NIA officials said that the two were arrested only after evidence was collected against them and their involvement in terror conspiracy would be proved before the court.