HYDERABAD: It’s a misguided journey of a juvenile delinquent involved in burglaries to a terrorist armed with AK- 47 for Telangana youth Mohammad Taufeeq of Ansar Ghazwatul Hind outfit in Kashmir. Taufeeq was killed in an encounter in Anantnag on March 12 in an exchange of fire with the security forces.
Taufeeq, a native of
Kothagudem in Telangana, was involved in four house burglary cases as a juvenile in 2007.
Bhadradri Kothagudem Superintendent of Police Ambar Kishor Jha told TOI, "Four cases of burglary were registered in
Aswapuram Police station against Taufeeq and others in 2007, and he was a juvenile then. All four were acquitted subsequently. Taufeeq was a misguided youth. How one can expect that a juvenile delinquent involved in theft cases was self-radicalised and wanted to join
ISIS and lands up in Kashmir terror outfit? Kothagudem is a peaceful area and was never known for any activities. Self-radicalisation happened over social media and online.” Police are trying to talk to the family to know more about Taufeeq.
Aswapuram Police station House Officer Narendra told TOI, "Taufeeq was involved in housebreaking along with friends when in school. He was produced before Juvenile Board and later after acquittal he left the hometown." Police are verifying other missing cases of youth from the locality.
Sources in
Intelligence Bureau said, "Taufeeq wanted to go to ISIS in 2017. But he couldn’t, as the ISIS fighters were returning to home countries from Syria. He was not on the radar of central agencies, but on the Counter Intelligence of Telangana police."
Al Nasr, the website of the terror outfit, revealed he joined the outfit in 2017 and was fighting for it since then.
Mohammed Taifeeq was 17 years old and was pursuing his intermediate education in Aswarapuram when he was involved in theft cases.
He used to live in Tungabhadra quarters of Heavy Water Plant in Aswapuram.
In the first case, he had stolen Rs 64,000 worth gold ornaments and in the second case he had stolen Rs 45,000 worth of gold ornaments along with his friend. In the third case he had stolen a cell phone worth Rs 12,500 and in the fourth case he had stolen Casio music player, a wrist watch and China-made car toy, all worth Rs 65,000.
