Hizbul man on a mission to strike on Ganesh festival held

LUCKNOW: The Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) of Uttar Pradesh Police arrested a native of Assam, Qamar-uz-Zama from Kanpur early on Thursday morning for his alleged links with the terror group Hizbul Mujahideen. Police claimed that he was planning a terrorist strike during the 10-day Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations beginning Thursday.

A seven-day police custody remand has been given by a court in Lucknow for interrogating Zama. Police officials from Jammu & Kashmir and Assam would also arrive to interrogate him. Zama was arrested from Chakeri in Kanpur on inputs from National Investigation Agency (NIA) and he confessed that he was a member of Hizbul Mujahideen and was staying on rent in the city for over a month and had been working as an electrician. The ATS sleuths also recovered a phone from him which had sketches and videos of Lord Ganesha temple in Collectorganj, Kanpur. Zama used a Blackberry phone and its messenger to interact with his handlers and associates.

DGP OP Singh said, “The accused had been abroad for four years and was in touch with known Hizbul handlers in Kishtwar, Jammu &Kashmir, and had also done recce of important and sensitive locations in Uttar Pradesh.”


‘Zama had been to Republic of Palau’

IG (ATS) Asim Arun said that Zama first came on the radar of security agencies when he posted a photo of himself wielding an AK-47 rifle on Facebook on April 8, 2018, posing as Dr Huraira and claiming to be member of Hizbul Mujahideen. The NIA had started following Zama and collecting details about him since then.

Arun further said, “Zama had been to Republic of Palau near Philippines and worked there from 2008 to 2012. He got married in 2013 after his return to Assam. He failed in BA (III) exam and then did a diploma in computers.”

During interrogation, Zama revealed that he went to Kashmir in 2017 where he met one Osama bin Javed who introduced him to Hizbul Mujahideen outfit. Zama underwent training at a militant camp in the jungles of Kishtwar, said ATS officials.

“We are checking his phone, his contacts and gathering details of Osama bin Javed,” they added.

Senior ATS officials said that they are gathering further details about Zama’s stay in Kanpur and his associates.