In the past week, Delhi police have arrested two active members of terror outfit Al-Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), Pasha and Maulana Anzar Shah for allegedly provoking Muslim youth in Bengaluru.
What has however raised eyebrows is that the Bengaluru’s intelligence set up which had been keeping a tab on Shah for two years, had not relayed information collected to the higher-ups. It could have given a positive direction and a head-start to the Bengaluru police, which lost out to far away Delhi police, reported Bangalore Mirror.
However, police commissioner Megharikh reportedly denied anything wrong with the police and said,”…We were getting many more details. But in between, the Delhi police came and asked for assistance and we provided that...”
He did not comment on the information passed to the top police officials by the intelligence units in November 2014.
Bengaluru-based religious leader, Shah was arrested by Delhi Police Special Cell for the making inflammatory speeches and for forging links with Islamic fundamentalist terrorist organisation in Pakistan on January 6.
Deccan Herald quoted an official source, on condition of anonymity, saying, “Last week, the special cell of the Delhi police arrested a suspect, Pasha, from near the Shivajinagar bus stand for his alleged links with the AQIS. He was taken to Delhi on a transit remand and produced before a court there.”
“Pasha was reportedly involved in recruiting AQIS cadres in Bengaluru, while Anzar was under the scanner for delivering hate speeches and inciting Muslim youth,” the officer said.
According to Times of India report, the Delhi police alerted the intelligence agencies after the alleged meeting between Qasmi and Mohammed Asif, the recruitment and training head of AQIS with whom the religious leader was in constant touch.
The intelligence bureau first stumbled upon Qasmi when it was tracking two of his associates Asif and Abdul Rahman from West Bengal.
This is an aggregated report from Bangalore Mirror, Times of India and Deccan Herald