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Significant IM presence in five states, say police
The Indian Mujahideen (IM) currently has 'a significant presence'—both in terms of sleeper and active modules—across five states in the country, the interrogation of its recently-nabbed ideologue has revealed.
The Indian Mujahideen (IM) currently has 'a significant presence'—both in terms of sleeper and active modules—across five states in the country, the interrogation of its recently-nabbed ideologue has revealed.
According to sources, Mohammad Tariq Anjuman Hassan, who was allegedly instrumental in forging the home-grown terror outfit, has confessed to have presided over dozens of recruitment drives held across Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Mumbai, Delhi and even in Chennai and Kerala.
"Most of their early recruits were from Bhatkal in Karnataka, where the IM was forged out of the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) in 2003, and already had a significant base among the youth. They then shifted to UP and then to Bihar," said an investigating officer.
Hassan (31), a civil engineer, was arrested by a special team of the Delhi Police from Bihar's Nalanda on February 2.
According to the Delhi Police, he was indoctrinated by Riyaz and Iqbal—the IM's godfathers who are now in Karachi—when he was just 19 years old and studying engineering at Bhatkal's Anjuman Engineering College in 1999.
Sources claimed Tariq had confessed to having organised dozens of consecutive 'Dargahs' or prayer meetings at the capitals of at least five states since the IM's formation in 2003.
"Till 2006, he and Yasin concentrated on brainwashing and polarising unemployed youth in rural Karnataka, UP, Bihar, Mumbai and adjacent locations before shifting their focus to south India," the officer said.
The duo would visit mosques at non-descript locations and establish their rapport with young men offering their daily prayers there before drawing them into fundamentalism by using 'America's transgressions in Afghanistan' and 'Israel-inflicted terror in the West Bank' as triggers, police claimed.
"Tariq has told us at least 60 meetings were held by them in Bihar to create the IM's presence there," the officer said.
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