Seven held for Hizbul Mujahideen links quizzed in Hojai

GUWAHATI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA), along with Uttar Pradesh's Anti-Terrorist Squad, Assam Police's Special Investigation Team (SIT) and other intelligence agencies, are quizzing the seven arrested persons nabbed by Assam Police in connection with their links with Hizbul Mujahideen (HM), an Islamic militant group.
"Each one of them was quizzed at Dabaka in Hojai district by the agencies separately on Wednesday," said a senior police officer. The investigating agencies are interrogating all the accused individually to unearth the outfit's plan and other activities in the state as well as other parts of the country.

Following the arrest of HM cadre Qamar-uz Zaaman in Kanpur by UP ATS sleuths, Assam Police have intensified its operations against possible linkmen of the outfit present in the state.

"At present, the investigators are focussing on knowing more about their activities and other networks. Shahnawaz Alam, who had allegedly arranged a SIM card for Qamar-uz by providing a fake identity card, was found to be playing a key role for the outfit in Assam. Investigation so far has revealed that he was acting as a key linkman between the outfit and other criminal networks from the region," a source said.

After his arrest, Shahnawaz was taken on six-day police remand which will end on Thursday. Assam Police are going to seek extension of his remand. Sources said one of the senior militant leaders identified as one Osama Javed, along with two others, had visited the state a few months ago and tried to connect with gunrunners from Nagaland to procure arms and ammunition.

Investigating agencies were also trying to know the other locations where Qamar-uz had gone during his visit to Assam earlier. Qamar-uz, who had also visited Guwahati, had allegedly undergone training in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district as well as in Pakistan in 2017 and joined the outfit there.