Pakistani handler accused of planning ‘Jihadi activities’ in India

Al-Hakim-Sukoor, the alleged handler from Pakistan who was in contact with the terror suspects online, planned to carry out ‘Jihadi activities’ and incite violence in the country. According to the police, Sukoor, kept in touch with the accused through social media.

The West Zone police of Vijayawada Commissionerate had arrested 12 persons for their alleged links with Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS). The accused were recently picked up by multiple police teams from various States including Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Bihar, Telangana, Delhi and Maharashtra.

The Counter Intelligence (CI) police of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) had jointly interrogated the five accused.

The police said that the accused allegedly planned to create Caliphate in India, take up recruitments and spread the ideology of ISIS and AQIS in the country. They also said that Sukoor had promised to supply them with weapons, the police said.

Meanwhile, the NTR Commissionerate Police were planning to file custody petition in the court seeking police custody of the remaining accused who were in judicial remand at the Rajahmundry Central Prison. “The CI Cell and other investigation agencies will question the other accused once we get police custody,” said West Zone Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) N.S.V.K. Durga Rao.