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This Article is From May 03, 2010

Hyderabad arrest: Alleged Lashkar man was planning terror strikes

New Delhi:
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A suspected Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) operative Mohd Zia Ul Haq, who had planned to set off explosions in crowded localities in Hyderabad, was arrested on Monday, police said.

Haq , who got training in Pakistan in handling explosives and fire arms including AK-47, was assigned to cause explosions in crowded areas in the state capital here, Hyderabad City Police Commissioner A K Khan told reporter this evening.

On the information given by some persons picked up during the security check-up, Hyderabad police arrested 34-year-old Haq, a resident of Edibazar under Bhavani Nagar Police station and recovered two grenades, one Chinese made pistol with six rounds and a cellphone from his possession, he said.

The arrested LeT Operative was assigned to cause explosions in Hyderabad city by his handler associated with the same terror outfit, Khan said.

The city police have launched security check-up since April 26 following intelligence inputs that there was a possibility of terror strike in the city and intense checking and frisking operations were on in crowded places including railway and bus stations, malls, cinema halls and important business establishments.

The Police Commissioner said the arrested man was a main accused in the blast that had occurred in Odeon Deluxe cinema hall at Chikkadpalli here on May 7, 2006, in which two persons were injured.

Haq, who came to India along with seven other Indians through Poonch sector in Jammu and Kashmir, was assigned to operate as a sleeper cell agent in Hyderabad, said Khan.

Asked when Haq returned from Pakistan and where were the other seven Indians who came to India along with him, Khan said he is providing information on the basis of preliminary investigation.

The details of Haq's activities would be known only after further interrogation, he said.

"Haq went to Saudi Arabia about ten years ago after discontinuing his studies where he developed acquaintance with one Abu Ali, a Pakistani national, who introduced him to an important LeT commander Abdul Aziz alias Abu Rehan and Vali in 2002," the police commissioner said.

"He was sent to Karachi in Pakistan the same year. Later, he went to Muzaffarabad where he was received by one Abu Khasim before being shifted him to a LeT camp. He was trained in the camp for one month in fire arms including AK-47 and explosives," Khan said.

After returning from Pakistan, he was working with various travel companies as taxi driver here and he visited several places like Hi-tech city, Imax theatre, Chikkadpalli and other places, he said.

Haq also made a recce of crowded places and he was continuously in touch with his handler Abdul Aziz, commander of LeT, the commissioner said.

The police commissioner said Haq had gone to Delhi in December 2005 when he received a call from his handler asking him to collect explosives including four hand grenades.

After collecting the material, Haq returned to Hyderabad and was under pressure to execute some sensational incident in the state capital here, Khan said.

However, Haq in May 2006 planted a low intensity grenade under a seat in Odeon cinema theatre 10 minutes before the intermission, which exploded immediately injuring two persons, he said.

The alleged LeT operative wanted to throw another grenade outside the cinema hall but left the second one in the dustbin and fled the scene, the commissioner said.

Though he was passive since 2006 he now wanted to revive his terror activities by using the left-out material, he said.

Asked whether the arrested man has any explosive material other than the police recovered from his possession, the commissioner said further investigation was needed to ascertain it.

Replying to another question that the extensive security check-ups have caused fear in the minds of general public, the police commissioner appealed to the public to cooperate with the police and said there was no need to panic.

"The city police have enough capacity to protect the city," Khan said.

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