Suspected Al Qaeda man from Sambhal jailed in Pakistan, police question kin
Usam is incarcerated in Lahore. This information was provided by Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, according to the Sambhal police.
The Sambhal police have launched a detailed probe into connections of Sambhal resident Mohammad Usman who was suspected to be an Al Qaeda operative and arrested in Pakistan last year.
Usam is incarcerated in Lahore. This information was provided by Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, according to the Sambhal police.
Over a dozen people, including family members of Usman were questioned on Sunday, police sources said. The probe follows instructions of the Ministry of External Affairs.
Sambhal superintendent of police Krishna Kumar Bishnoi stated that primary investigation revealed that Usman had been missing since 2012.
“In 2015, Delhi’s Special Cell accused him of being involved in terrorist activities, but he was not apprehended. He was declared a fugitive in 2016 by Delhi police”.
“Usman had joined AQIS (Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent) along with his associates. One of his associates from Deepa Sarai, Maulana Asim Umar, was previously reported to have been killed in a US drone strike in the Helmand province of Afghanistan on September 23, 2019,” the SP said.
“The information about his imprisonment in Lahore’s jail has now come to light. Investigations are underway to understand how he reached Pakistan. We are also trying to trace his connections,” the officer said.
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Usman’s family members informed police that about 13 years ago, he left home claiming he was going to Delhi for an air conditioner repair course, but he never returned.
Usman’s brother, Furman, mentioned that he is unaware of how his brother ended up in Pakistan.
A photo showing him with a beard was sent from Pakistan, although he didn’t have a beard when he went missing. Furman explained that his brother was unmarried and did not have a beard when he disappeared. The current photo shown to them shows a significantly grown beard. He also stated that Usman has three brothers -- one of them works in Dubai, and two are drivers. Their mother passed away when they were children, and their father died in 2012.
Furman also said Usman had completed his high school education at Hind Inter College.
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Before leaving for Delhi, Usman had also obtained a passport, he said. From Delhi, he visited home several times but never returned or contacted the family after 2012. Delhi police had visited the area multiple times to enquire about him.
The details of Usman recorded in the Pakistani jail are as follows: Usman’s father’s name is Khurshid Hussain. He is 46 years old. His height is 5 feet 7 inches. The colour of his eyes and hair is black. He has a cut mark on his left thumb. When arrested, he was found in ‘normal health’ conditions.
“Local investigations are ongoing, and a report will be prepared and shared with the authorities concerned once all facts come to light,” the SP said.