Patna: Phulwarisharif a safe haven for anti-national elements?

PATNA: Phulwarisharif locality in the city has hogged the limelight for wrong reasons once again following the arrest of three people for their alleged terror links.
This locality had the reputation for being a safe haven by anti-nationals in the past as well.
During the late 1990s and early 2000s, Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Danapur cantonment military intelligence wing had described Phulwarisharif, located on south- western outskirts of Patna, as a safe haven for anti-national activities.
In fact, Phulwarisharif had earned “notoriety” in 1997 when Danapur military intelligence had got information about several Pakistan-trained terrorists taking shelter in the locality during winter. Seven persons with terrorist history in Kashmir, including prison sentence for 18 months in 1993, were reported by intelligence agencies to be staying at Phulwarisharif in for around six months in 1997. After the arrest of Lallu Khan and his wife from Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi in August 2000, it was revealed that they were involved in making and selling fake Indian passports at Phulwarisharif.
Delhi police had also busted a gang involved in making fake passports and running an employment racket from Phulwarisharif in January 2001. The gang was led by one Mohd Shamim. Altogether, 23 Indian passports were seized by the police from his house during the raid, central intelligence sources said.
In 2001, one Mohd Arshad alias Ladoo Mian, an alleged agent of the then al-Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden, was arrested by Delhi police from Phulwarisharif.
Incidentally, Delhi police had also visited Phulwarisharif in connection with the cooker bomb serial blasts in the New Delhi-Patna bound Shramjeevi Express at Jaunpur station near Varanasi in July 2005. During the late 1990s, Phulwarisharif had earned notoriety for being a conduit for the transaction of fake currency notes.
Additionally, Delhi police had arrested Shamim Sarwar alias Pir Baba from Phulwarisharif for his alleged involvement in a conspiracy to blow up the US embassy in New Delhi in 2001.
Phulwarisharif MLA Gopal Ravidas defended Mohammad Jallauddin, a retired police officer of Jharkhand who was one of the two people arrested on Wednesday. “Jalal Sahib fought against terrorists during a massacre in Bhelwaghati in Jharkhand. I am saying it with complete faith that Jalal Sahib is innocent,” the MLA said.
He added, “Jalal Sahib gave a part of his building on rent to a person named Athar. Proper rental agreement was done and submitted to the local police station. Besides, CCTV footage from the cameras installed in the building has been submitted to police. His family members have not been eating food from last two days as they are worried about him.”