SIMI terrorists held for planning armed attack on Jagannath Rath Yatra

‘SIMI men’ held, Gujarat says were planning attack

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/simi-men-held-gujarat-says-were-planning-attack/645651/0

Tue Jul 13 2010

Ahmedabad: The Ahmedabad Crime Branch Monday claimed to have arrested two armed operatives of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI).

Police claimed Hasibarza alias Samim Firdosarza Saiyed, 34, of Patna in Bihar and Abufakir Abdulwali Abuali Siddique, 43, resident of Azamgarh in UP, were planning a terror strike in Gujarat, but did not provide details. An air gun, a country-made revolver and live cartridges were recovered from the arrested men, police said.

Crime Branch sleuths said they were tipped-off by security agencies about the two SIMI men, who were active in Ahmedabad for several years and were planning a terror strike in the state. They were riding a motorcycle near Prem Darwaza when they were arrested.

DCP, Crime Branch Himanshu Shukla claimed Hasibarza was sending young men from Maharashtra to Pakistan for terror training, for which he had earlier been arrested in Jalgaon. “He was also arrested for his role in the Howrah Bridge bombing and a few times in Patna for anti-social activities,” Shukla said. “Hasibarza is a hardcore SIMI member. He has been with the outfit since 1988-89, operating from different places. We have found out that he was working in Gujarat for the past seven to eight years, post the 2002 riots.”

Both Hasibarza and Siddique, along with their families, were staying at Faridabad Society in Jantanagar, Ahmedabad. According to Crime Branch, Hasibarza “was passing off under the cover of an employee of a garment store at Dariapur”.

Meanwhile, police in Bharuch received an anonymous letter threatening to target Tuesday’s Jagannath Rath Yatra. According to Bharuch S P Raghvendra Vats, the letter says the 2002 riots “will be avenged during the Rath Yatra”.

“We have received the letter but we do not want to share details at this point,” Vats said.

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