Terror suspect’s aide may have been sleeper agent, say police

The police suspect that the man who was arrested by the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), seven years after he was proclaimed dead, may have been a sleeper agent for a terror front and may have changed his identity in order to lead a secret life.

The police suspect that the man who was arrested by the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), seven years after he was proclaimed dead, may have been a sleeper agent for a terror front and may have changed his identity in order to lead a secret life.

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“The Hyderabad police say that Syed Mossuddiq Wahiuddin Quadri could have been leading a secret life as a sleeper agent and so they have asked for details from

the Maharashtra ATS about him. They may send a team here,” said an officer, on condition of anonymity as he is not authorised to speak to the media.

He added that the Hyderabad police are perturbed over the fact that Quadri lived in their city for so long under an assumed identity and managed to procure a voter’s identity card as well as a driving licence.

Additional director general of police, Rakesh Maria, while speaking about Quadri’s arrest on October 6, said that the ATS was also probing into why Quadri took such an extreme step despite having been acquitted in the bomb blast cases.

“He may have been entrusted with something important for which he might have been asked to go underground,” an officer said on the condition of anonymity as he is not

authorised to speak to the media.

Quadri, an associate of dreaded bomb maker Dr Jalees Ansari, was named in seven bomb blasts in the city that were carried out by Ansari’s module in the period between 1989-1994. Quadri was even involved in a bombing at Mahim police station and at a canteen near the Azad Maidan police station.

Quadri was believed to have died on August 15, 2003 after a decapitated body was found at his residence, which his relatives identified as his body.

The ATS, however, got information that Quadri was alive and arrested him on the basis of a tip-off.

ATS has revealed that Quadri had killed a man, beheaded him and then dumped the severed head into Vasai Creek.

He then fled to Hyderabad and got himself a new identity. He began living as Imran Amu Mansur Hasni.

Quadri, in custody of the ATS till October 16, had trained in Pakistan.

The ATS is now looking into old cases against him and has also requisitioned for documents pertaining to previous investigations.