The arrest of Zia-Ur-Rahman, alias Waqas, a Pakistan national is a ‘major catch’ by the Special Cell and the arrest of three other hardcore cadres of Indian Mujahideen (IM) is expected to yield actionable information for the security agencies as that would help them in stopping the home-grown terrorist outfit under check. His profile is an interesting study.
Zia-Ur-Rahman, alias Waqas, alias Ahmed was born in 1989 at at Mustafabad, Tehsil Gojara, District Toba Tek Singh, Punjab (Pakistan). His father Jalaluddin is a farmer. His grandfather had migrated to Pakistan from Phagwara, Jalandhar, Punjab (India) at the time of Partition. At a young age itself, he used to hear a lot of propaganda stories that prejudiced his mind against India. These stories are spread there by terrorist tanzeems, based in Pakistan, to scout local talents. This had a deep impact upon his psychology.
After finishing his intermediate schooling he took up admission in Government College of Technology, Faislabad in 2006. It was here that he was introduced to the audio taped lectures of Maulana Masood Azhar which inspired him for Jehad. In 2009, Waqas came in contact of one Taj Mohammed, who used to collect donations on behalf of Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), the frontal organisation of the lashkar-e-Tayyeba (leT). Mohammed arranged for his training at the Naushera camp of the leT. Waqas underwent the 21 days training known as daura-amma. Trained in terror camps in Pakistan, Waqas was allegedly involved in the Jama Masjid attacks on September 19, 2010, the Sheetla Ghat, Varanasi blasts carried out on December 7, 2010, the blasts carried out at Opera House and Zaveri Bazar in Mumbai on July 12, 2011. The next terrorist strike carried out by Waqas was the Pune serial blasts of August 1, 2012. He was also involved in the Hyderabad serial blasts carried out on February 21, 2013.
The Special Cell had been following the clues which had come out from the interrogations of Ahmed Zarar Siddibapa, alias Yasin Bhatkal, Indian Mujahideen co-founder and one of India’s most wanted terrorists and Asadullah Akhtar, alias Haddi. It was also following leads from two dreaded terrorists and associates of Waqas, who had been arrested in August last year from Indo-Nepal for their alleged involvement in a spate of terrorist bombings. From Pakistan, Waqas had reached Kathmandu along with Asadullah Akhtar, alias Haddi (arrested with Yasin Bhatkal) in September 2010 and was received by Tehseen Akhtar, alias Monu, the current chief of Indian Mujahideen after the arrest of Bhatkal.
Even though Waqas and Haddi came from the same flight they did not know each other and it was Akhtar who introduced them. From Nepal, Waqas came to Darbhanga in Bihar where he met Yasin Bhatkal and other members of the Bihar module of IM. This module then carried out the Jama Masjid attacks on September 19, 2010. After successfully executing the Jama Masjid terror strikes, Waqas returned to Bihar. In Bihar, after carrying out a comprehensive review of the Jama Masjid attacks wherein the IED prepared by this module did not have the desired impact, Waqas informed Yasin Bhatkal about his expertise in making hydrogen peroxide-based IEDs. This later led to the Sheetla Ghat, Varanasi blasts carried out on December 7, 2010. While fabricating the IEDs for this strike, Waqas suffered an injury while connecting the detonator and the timer as the detonator went off. It injured two fingers on Waqas’ left hand.
After the Varanasi bombings, as per the directions of Yasin Bhatkal, Waqas shifted to Mumbai where he stayed in a rented accommodation at Habib Apartment, Byculla. In June 2011, Waqas, Yasin Bhatkal, Asadullah Akhtar, alias Haddi and Tehseen Akhtar, alias Monu started preparations for the Mumbai serial blasts. After preparing the IEDs, blasts were carried out at Opera House and Zaveri Bazar. The next terrorist strike carried out by Waqas was the Pune serial blasts of August 1, 2012. Here, he partnered with Asadullah Akhtar, alias Haddi and the Maharashtra module of IM consisting of Asad, Imran, Irfan, Feroze and Sayed Maqbool (all since arrested by the Special Cell).
After carrying out the Pune blasts, which did not yield the desired results, Waqas and Asadullah Akhtar, alias Haddi left for Mangalore and settled in a safe house. In Mangalore, Waqas received instructions from Riyaz Bhatkal to prepare for carrying out bomb blasts in Hyderabad. Early February 2013, Waqas and Asadullah Akhtar, alias Haddi shifted to Hyderabad where Tehseen Akhtar also joined them. The Hyderabad serial blasts were successfully executed by these three terrorists on February 21, 2013. After carrying out this strike, Waqas returned to Mangalore and stayed there for some time. When the news of the arrest of Yasin Bhatkal and Asadullah Akhtar by the Indian security agencies broke out, Riyaz directed Waqas to leave the Mangalore hideout immediately. Waqas moved to Munnar in Kerala and took a rented accommodation there. Tehseen Akhtar also visited him there for a short period. After staying in Munnar, Waqas kept roaming in Odisha, West Bengal, Maharashtra while keeping in touch with Riyaz Bhatkal and Tehseen Akhtar. On the directions of Akhtar, he came to Ajmer for an assignment from where he was arrested.
Meanwhile activists and locals staged a protest outside Jamia Nagar police station on Sunday morning over what they termed as ‘illegal arrest’ of two youths from the area at about 7 am by Delhi Police Special Cell. Police officials however, claimed that they had picked up only one youth from the area for questioning.
“The two youths, basically from Bihar, who were residing at house no. 101-A in Hari Khothi lane, Abul Fazal Enclave, were taken into custody by police early morning. One of the two is a Mechanical Engineering final-year student in a college in Jaipur. This is a political conspiracy and our community is being targeted,” said one of the protesters.
The Rajasthan Module
The Rajasthan module is not new for the Special Cell as they had been working on it after the existence of such a module was disclosed by Yasin Bhatkal and Haddi during their interrogations. However, the interrogations of these two accused could not yield anything specific regarding the identity of the members of this module apart from the stated fact that it was developed by absconding terrorist Tehseen Akhtar directly under the command of Riyaz and Iqbal Bhatkal.
Investigating officers who interrogated Bhatkal revealed that he had once mentioned that his men are good while speaking about the Rajasthan module. Soon after this, the Special Cell was trying to identify the suspects based in Rajasthan who could be connected to Tehseen Akhtar. After intensive efforts spread over a period of over three months, certain suspects were identified their movements and activities were watched. “The arrest of Waqas and his subsequent interrogation provided specific identities of the members of this module. Arrested Mohd Mahruf is pursuing engineering degree from VIT, Jaipur, Mohd Waqar Azhar is also pursuing engineering degree from Global Institute of Technology, Sitapura, Jaipur and Shaquib Ansari is running a computer DTP and design printing business,” said Special Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) SN Shrivastava.
They are being brought to Delhi and their detailed interrogations will reveal the plans of this module and also help in establishing the identities of their other member associates, financers and specific targets.