By Raju Vernekar
Mumbai, May 25:
The Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested Junaid Mohammed (28) from Dapodi in Pune, on charges of receiving money from the terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir to recruit youth to carry out terror activities, on Monday and remanded him to police custody till June 03 on Tuesday.
The ATS stated that the accused was working for the banned Pakistan-based outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and was involved in recruiting youth for terror activities. Based on the pleadings by Additional Public Prosecutor Vijay Phargade, Additional Sessions Judge SR Navandar granted 10 days police custody. Advocate Yashpal Purohit, provided by the Legal Aid Committee as a defence lawyer, argued that the accused was waylaid.
Based on specific information, the Kalachowky ATS unit in Mumbai had begun a probe against four persons in connection with a case related to the alleged recruitment of new members for the LeT and sending them to Jammu and Kashmir for training in subversive activities.
An FIR was registered by assistant police inspector Swapnil Chavan on December 30, 2021, under IPC sections 121A (conspiracy to commit offenses), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups), 116 (abetment of an offense), and also the IT Act was. During the investigation, one of the suspects was identified as Junaid Mohammed, an ATS official said.
Junaid was apprehended by an ATS team led by Police Inspector Manjusha Bhosle on Monday. The three others wanted in the case are still at large.
The accused originally from Khamgaon in the Buldhana district in the Vidarbha region was residing with relatives in Dapodi and was working at the shop of a scrap dealer for the last few years. He had also visited Jammu and Kashmir on 6 occasions in the last two years.
The ATS in its remand application told the court that the accused was in contact with terror operatives through phone messenger groups and social media platforms and had also received money for terror-related activities. He came in contact with active LeT members through a Whatsapp group named ‘Ansar Gazwat Ul Hind/ Tawheed’ between 2021 and April 2022, set up by Hamidulla Zargar.
The accused was tasked to misguide, brainwash and create anti-national feelings among selected youth and recruit them as a member of the LeT. He used to receive money from his handlers for completing the given task.
Police inspector Manjusha Bhosale told the court that Junaid was in contact with Hamidulla Zargar of Kulgaon, Aftab Shah of Kishtwad, and Umar – all from Jammu and Kashmir. These three persons are now wanted in the case.
During interrogation, the investigating agencies came to know that accused had received Rs 10,000 from a Jammu and Kashmir-based bank account. He was using different SIM cards to establish contacts with his handlers and after every communication used to destroy the SIM card. The ATS is also probing whether he had done recce of sensitive locations including places of religious significance, vital installations, and defence establishments in the country.
The ATS is also probing his role in the explosives found at Pune railways station last week, as well as the conspiracy plot to assassinate a prominent political leader expected to address a rally in Pune to trigger communal riots.
Junaid is also suspected to have links with another accused Ramesh Shah, arrested by the Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh ATS in February 2019 from Pune for allegedly providing terror funding from Pakistan for terrorist activities in India. Shah, a native of Gopalganj, Bihar, operating from Uttar Pradesh, had fled and settled in Pune in Maharashtra.
Speaking to the Imphal Times, Defence lawyer Yashpal Purohit said that “As per the remand report, the accused was supposed to get arms and recruit more people with the funds he received. He travelled to Kashmir many times, but the purpose of these trips was unknown and that is why custody has been given. He was been brained washed by LeT recruiters.
