Karnataka   

‘There is no direct evidence to prove father-son duo’s terrorist links’

MANGALORE/BANGALORE: “The computer hard disk recovered by the police from our house is nothing but junk,” says Heenaz whose father Mohammed Ali, and brother Jawed Ali are being interrogated by the Mumbai police for suspected links with the terrorist organisation Indian Mujahideen. According to her, the computer broke down over six months ago.

“When the mechanic told us that the repair will cost Rs. 2,500, my father sent him away. We used to pester him initially to repair the computer but eventually realised that he has no money for it,” she says.

The computer hard disk along with some CDs seized from the house of Mohammed Ali were displayed by the police as “key evidence” at a press conference held on the day on which four persons from in and around Mangalore city were picked up for having suspected links with terrorist organisations.

Ms. Heenaz says that her father did not know how to use the computer. “He has studied only till 5th standard. He did not even know how to switch on the computer,” she says.

According to her, they did not even have an Internet connection. “My father thinks that the Internet has all sorts of evil things. He avoids even television,” she says.

As for the CDs recovered, Ms. Heenaz says that they contained only religious material and had nothing to do with terror or “jihad.”

Meanwhile, a top police official investigating the case told The Hindu in Bangalore on Monday that the investigators had not been able to find any direct evidence linking the father-son duo to the Indian Mujahideen. However, the State police believe that certain individuals with “jehadi” leanings might have either congregated at the one-month-old sea-side house of Mohammed Ali, or that Mohammed Ali had helped in arranging a meeting for the Jehadis.

When The Hindu team visited Mohammed Ali’s house, several local people tried to prevent them from interviewing Ms. Heenaz. Later, she said that some sections of the media had misquoted her as saying that her father is a Indian Mujahideen operative. “Why would I ever say that?” she asks.

S.M. Naushad, another person suspected to have links with the Indian Mujahideen, is being interrogated by the Mumbai police. His brother S.M. Nahid was released late on Monday after being detained for over 72 hours. Naushad’s father S.M. Irshad said: “Please do not refer to my son as a terrorist until there is some evidence against him,”

He said that neither cash or bombs were found in their house.

Meanwhile, joint secretary of the Jamia Masjid of Jodu Palli Maqbool Ahmed has filed a complaint against a Kannada news channel accusing it of “biased” and “false” reporting.

The Barke police have registered a case under sections 153 and 153 (A) of the Indian Penal Code for “promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion” and “wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot”.

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