AMROHA: The alleged mastermind of the IS-inspired terror group, Mohammed Suhail, who was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday, had returned to his village only a month-and-a-half ago, his family claimed. According to Suhail’s cousin Mohammed Jahangir, Suhail was in Delhi with his family. “He came here with his wife barely two months ago after his wedding. He would stay aloof... So, if at all he was involved in any terror-related activities, our family has no clue about them,” he said.
However, Jahangir claimed that his cousin would not have indulged in any terror activities. “The NIA officials say that he shifted base from Delhi to Amroha only to connect with people and influence them to join him. But he came here in search of work. He was financially very weak and had been teaching children at the local madarsa,” 38-year-old Jahangir said.
But people at the local Jama Masjid, to which the madarsa in question is attached to, refuse to recognise Suhail and claim that no one by that name taught children there. “My two daughters and a son have been going to the madarsa at Jama Masjid for the past four years but no one by the name Suhail has ever taught them. In fact, I stay in the locality but I know of only one Suhail in the locality, that is the doctor,” a 44-year-old man who did not wished to be identified said.
Suhail’s family is persistent with their claims of ignorance to his alleged misdeeds. Upon knocking his door, an elderly woman without answering the door said, “He just stayed here. We do not know what he did and why he was taken away. Stop harassing us.”
The NIA on Wednesday busted a suspected ‘ISIS-inspired terror module’ following searches in Uttar Pradesh and New Delhi, arresting at least ten people allegedly planning to attack crowded places and political personalities. The agency claimed that the module was assembling weapons to carry out attacks on several targets in the country.