A team from the CID of the Odisha Police apprehended Iqbal Husain from Gandhuwa Pathar, located in the Batadrava constituency of Nagaon District, on suspicion of involvement in anti-national activities.
Odisha Police acted on information implicating Iqbal in such activities and his connections with Pakistan, leading to his arrest on a transit remand.
Odisha Police received an intel indicating that Iqbal had frequent communication with Abdul Hamid, an informant associated with Pakistan. Iqbal Hussain, who had been working as a local rickshaw puller for the past year, was arrested while operating an e-rickshaw.
On a Wednesday, a CID team from the Odisha Police arrived in Assam and proceeded directly to Nagaon District. Collaborating with local law enforcement at Jajori Police Station, they successfully located and arrested Iqbal.
Iqbal Hussain was employed at a hotel in Bengaluru a year ago, where he was roommates with an Odia individual also working at the same establishment.
Recently, the Odisha Police arrested this Odia man for his connections to Pakistan and the sharing of crucial information with Pakistani agents. During the investigation, the man confessed to his involvement in unlawful activities and revealed his regular contact with Pakistani agent Abdul Hamid. He also implicated Iqbal as someone closely linked to him in these anti-national activities. During questioning by the Odisha Police, the man admitted to providing important information to the Pakistani agent.
One year ago, Iqbal returned from Bengaluru and purchased a battery-operated rickshaw. For the past year, he has been earning his livelihood as a rickshaw puller.
Notably, on the Wednesday in question, Iqbal was arrested while carrying passengers in his e-rickshaw. Subsequently, Iqbal was presented in the CJM court in Nagaon by the Odisha Police and taken into custody under a transit remand.
However, Iqbal’s family members asserted that they were unaware of any such activities involving him. They confirmed that he had been in Bengaluru a year ago, but recently, his father had purchased an e-rickshaw for him.
It is noteworthy that incidents of police raids and the arrest of individuals associated with jihadism have occurred in specific areas of Nagaon and neighboring Hojai and Morigaon districts.
This year, four individuals with alleged links to jihadism were arrested in Morigaon district, all of whom had ties to local Madrasas. Three of the arrests took place at Moirabari Madrasa, while another individual, who also worked part-time as a Madrasa teacher and owned a computer shop, was apprehended in Morigaon.
It is believed that he conducted all communications related to these activities from his computer shop. Nagaon and Morigaon districts have become hotspots for such jihadism-related activities.
Additionally, it’s worth mentioning that a few months ago, the Batadrava police station was attacked and set on fire by unruly individuals.