UP ATS to hand over probe to NIA

LUCKNOW : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) will take up the investigation into Jammu’s home grown terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen’s Assam module unearthed after the arrest of Qamar-uz-Zama from Kanpur. The UP Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) had arrested Assam resident Qamar-uzZama on September 13 for allegedly planning ‘fidayeen’ attack and doing recce of Siddhi Vinayak temple of Kanpur’s Collectorganj.

A senior state police official said the NIA had decided to take up the investigation of the Assam terror module as it included terror links into multiple states like UP, Assam, Meghalaya and Jammu & Kashmir. He said it would be easier for the NIA to coordinate with police and security agencies of different states during further probe in the matter. Moreover, the matter was related to internal security of the country as the terror outfit which had restricted itself into the Jammu region was now trying to expand its network across the country, he added.

Inspector general (IG) of UP ATS Asim Arun confirmed that he had received the order related to the NIA taking up the investigation. “We have already initiated the proceedings to hand over the investigation to the national agency. The ATS officers involved in the case has been asked to prepare the detailed report of Zama’s interrogation, the mobile phone and other things recovered from him.” He said the details would soon be handed over to the NIA.

Arun, however, added that they would continue exploring the terror outfit network and assist the national agency in the investigation if required.

Earlier, Zama’s arrest from Kanpur had exposed a major terror network setting up its base in north eastern states and eight other people were arrested from Assam on his revelations. Eight others arrested from Assam were Shahnawaz, Omar Farooq, Saeed-ul-Islam, Behrul-Islam, Jaeen-ul-Ahmad, Zama’s elder brother Shafiq-ulIsla and two firearms dealers Riyazudeen alias Riyaz and Abhimanyu Chauhan. The two arms dealers were allegedly arranging AK-47 assault rifles for the terror outfits.

The rigorous interrogation of Zama and eight others by the ATS and the Assam police had also reportedly discovered that the Assam-based Hizbul module had also done recce of Gita Ashram in Assam’s Hojai district that happens to be the heart of RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) in the region and its leaders.

Moreover, the terror operatives also had a nefarious plan to target Lumding railway station which is a major railway division in the north-east.