Hyderabad cops foil terror plot, arrest 3

Police also seized four Chinese-made hand grenades and recovered Rs 5,41,800 out of Rs 30 lakh Zahed reportedly received from his handlers from abroad.
Representational Image. (File Photo)
Representational Image. (File Photo)

HYDERABAD: Hyderabad Task Force and SIT teams on Sunday foiled a plot to carry out terror strikes in the State capital and arrested three persons — Abdul Zahed who was an accused in several terror-related cases in Hyderabad and two of his recruits Mohammad Sameeuddin and Maaz Hasan Farooq.

Police also seized four Chinese-made hand grenades and recovered Rs 5,41,800 out of Rs 30 lakh Zahed reportedly received from his handlers from abroad. The rest of the amount Zahed had spent on luring youth and for radicalising them. While Zahed, who was in regular touch with Pakistani ISI-LeT handlers, was arrested from Malakpet and his recruits Mohammad Sameeuddin and Maaz Hasan Farooq were picked up from Saidabad and Mehdipatnam respectively.

Planned attacks during Ganesh Chaturthi

According to sources, the trio had planned to carry out terror attacks in August, especially during the 75th Independence Day and Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations as well as the ongoing Dasara festivities.“They planned terror attacks during these major events as there will be huge gatherings. However, they couldn’t carry out their plans due to heavy police presence,” a source told TNIE.

Meanwhile, police said that Zahed — who is linked to several terror attacks in the city, including an attack on the Hyderabad Task Force Office Begumpet back in 2005 — in his confession has revealed that three other accused in previous attacks Farhatulla Ghori, Abu Hamzala and Majeed revived their contacts with him and they motivated and sent funds to him to recruit youth to again carry out terror attacks in Hyderabad.

Meanwhile, Hyderabad City Police Commissioner CV Anand dismissed the news reported by some online media outlets that the arrested trio planned attacks on some BJP leaders as false and said: “Their plan was to launch sensational mass attacks and not on specific individuals.”

Asked if the NIA will take over the case sometime in future, he said: “This case was cracked by the Telangana police. The NIA comes into the picture if there are any national ramifications. If NIA wants to handle the case, it will be handed over to the agency.”

Police informed Farhatullah Ghori alias FG, Siddique Bin Osman alias Rafique alias Abu Hamzala and Abdul Majeed alias Chotu are currently absconding. They are reportedly settled in Pakistan and currently working for ISI.

Previously, they recruited local youth and radicalised them to execute terror attacks, including a bomb blast near Saibaba Temple Dilsukhnagar in 2002, a bus blast at Ghatkopar in suburban Mumbai and a suicide attack on Task Force Office, Begumpet in 2005. They also tried to blow up Ganesh Temple near Secunderabad Railway Station in 2004.

Speaking to TNIE, a senior official said: “The task given by their handlers to Zahed and his two recruits was to hurl grenades at large gatherings so as to create as much damage as possible and also to create terror among people. It is not yet clear how long these accused have been in touch with the terror groups in Pakistan. Primary investigation revealed that Zahed received Rs 30 lakh, a major portion of that amount was already spent on luring youth and radicalising them.”

Meanwhile, it is learnt that Hyderabad police will seek seven-day custody of the trio.

Grenade attacks

A senior official said the task given by their handlers to Zahed and his two aids was to hurl grenades at large gatherings so as to create as much damage as possible and also to create terror among people

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