The Assam police on Friday sought the help of Muslims in Assam in identifying members of a new module of the extremist Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB).
The appeal followed the arrest of two recruits of the module in western Assam’s Dhubri district bordering Bangladesh. The police recovered four firearms and ₹1.02 lakh in fake Indian currency notes from the duo.
“…we appeal to the respected Muslim community and their leaders to come forward and assist us in identifying the other members of this module. We also appeal to them to help us bring all such radicalized elements to mainstream,” Assam’s Director-General of Police Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta tweeted.
He also advised Muslim society to not entertain the “radicalised elements” but help the police.
“We will not allow any orientation for radicalisation. We received information that some elements of this module have been frequenting Bangladesh,” he added.
Muslims are a majority in Dhubri, accounting for 79.67% of the district’s population (2011 Census).
Mr. Mahanta said police investigations revealed some Bangladeshi mullahs got Indian visas for the purpose of treatment in Chennai but violated the visa rules by visiting different parts of Assam to radicalise people.
The State police had in 2014 busted a JMB module in western Assam’s Barpeta, which ranks second after Dhubri in terms of the Muslim population, and arrested more than a dozen people. This module had spread to Baksa district, police said.
Additional Director General of Police (Special Branch) Hiren Nath said the JMB elements blended in as ordinary people plying various trades. “They misguide the youth and make them follow the JMB’s ideology,” he said.
