VHP demands action against mosque where alleged terrorist was living

The complaint also asked the police to gather inputs on the alleged terrorist activities in the mosque

Bengaluru: The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Thursday gave a letter to Bengaluru police commissioner Pratap Reddy demanding action against the mosque where alleged Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Talib Hussain was staying.

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Thursday gave a letter to Bengaluru police commissioner Pratap Reddy demanding action against the mosque where alleged Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Talib Hussain was staying. (HT PHOTO)

The complaint also asked the police to gather inputs on terrorist activities in the mosque. “The masjid where terror element Talib Hussain was given shelter must be seized. Action must be initiated against those who sheltered him and gave him SIM cards,” the complaint said.

Hussain was arrested from Bengaluru’s Okalipuram area in a joint operation by Jammu and Kashmir Police and Indian Army’s Rashtriya Rifles on June 3. The accused, Talib Hussain, is a resident of Kishtwar district in Jammu and Kashmir and is believed to be an active member of Hizbul Mujahideen since 2016, state police officials said.

Hussain came to Bengaluru a year ago and was staying in a mosque in Okalipuram area, they said. Mosque authorities, however, claimed they were not aware of Hussain’s purported links with the terror outfit. They claimed the suspected terrorist had come with his wife and child during the second wave of the Covid pandemic, and refuted police’s claim that he would make provocative speeches during Friday prayers.

Home minister Araga Jnanendra said the state police had begun a probe following Hussain’s arrest. “The state police are coordinating with their Jammu and Kashmir counterparts and intensified investigation to identify those individuals and organisations, which harboured him,” he said