The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : What was Abul Bashir up to in the city?

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What was Abul Bashir up to in the city?

Marri Ramu

Gujarat police picked him up in the Ahmedabad blasts case

HYDERABAD: Suspicions about his possible connections with terror suspects during his stay in Hyderabad were raised. But police here did not ‘focus’ on Abul Bashir, who was arrested by the Gujarat police on Saturday on the charge of masterminding the Ahmedabad serial blasts, for want of incriminating evidence.

Hailing from Sarai Mir of Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh, Bashir came to Hyderabad reportedly in 2005. He was reportedly associated with the Tehreek Tehfooz Shariat-e-Islam, a coalition of different organisations working for protection of Islamic monuments and signs. Police sources said that he worked as editor of the TTSI-run magazine Nishan-e-Rah.

Worked in madarsa

It is learnt that he also worked in a madarsa at Bandlaguda on the city outskirts. He used to teach Arabic, science and mathematics there. During week-ends, Bashir would come to Saidabad and meet local youths there. He reportedly interacted with Raziuddin who was arrested by the Karnataka police a few months ago on the charge of being a terror suspect and Mohtasim Billa, arrested by the Hyderabad police a few weeks ago on a similar charge.

Bashir was in Hyderabad when terrorists bombed Mecca Masjid in May 2007. He left for his village in UP a month later. His name cropped up during the interrogation of some suspects in the Mecca Masjid explosion and the twin blasts cases. “But we didn’t focus on him as no crucial evidence was available then,” a police officer told The Hindu.

In the backdrop of Bashir’s arrest in the Ahmedabad serial blasts case, the city police officials have started investigation afresh into the two cases. They are trying to find out if Bashir was confined to his job or abetted the Mecca Masjid blast and the twin blasts in August 2007. A special team of the city police is leaving for Ahmedabad on Monday.

Meanwhile, two persons reportedly known to Bashir were picked up from the old city for interrogation.

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