The joint investigation being carried out by ATS teams from UP and Mumbai into Islamic State's India module, after arrest of Abu Zaid Alauddin Shaikh from city airport on Monday, has revealed that Abu had made several contacts in Mumbai, besides his connections in Azamgarh, UP.
Abu Zaid
Sources said he used to meet a number of people in Mumbai, two among them being a technician and a student in a reputed city college. Maharashtra ATS is giving assistance to UP ATS to identify Abu's friends and what they were up to in Mumbai. The ATS also believes that Abu may have set up a long chain (of people) in Mumbai and would visit to guide them.
Officers said those who were part of the terror group were hiding behind pet names and the only one who knew their real names and identities was Abu. Two such names the ATS has been looking into are Head Hunter and Big Bro. While the agency doesn't have any details as yet, it has said these two were among the most active.
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A senior ATS officer told mid-day, "We are searching for the people who were part of the social media groups Abu had created on Threema, Telegram and WhatsApp. The groups were called 'Naughty Boys', 'Dosto ki Mehfil', and 'Shararati Bacche'. Each group had 15-odd members, and Abu would post outrageous messages on them."
"We produced him in court, which remanded him in police custody for five days. We are scanning his Mumbai contacts and what they did for him," said Anup Singh, DSP, UP ATS.
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