Hyderabad terror plot: Zahed was in regular touch with Pakistan handlers

Hyderabad: Zahed who was arrested by the Hyderabad Police for allegedly conspiring to cause terror acts in the city was in touch with Farhatullah Ghouri, a Hyderabadi based somewhere in Pakistan. He was allegedly receiving instructions from the men of Ghouri, who is a follower of Jaish e Mohammed group formed by Maulana Masood Azhar. […]

Hyderabad: Zahed who was arrested by the Hyderabad Police for allegedly conspiring to cause terror acts in the city was in touch with Farhatullah Ghouri, a Hyderabadi based somewhere in Pakistan. He was allegedly receiving instructions from the men of Ghouri, who is a follower of Jaish e Mohammed group formed by Maulana Masood Azhar.

Ghouri, who stayed in Kurmaguda in Hyderabad till he left for Dubai and later to Pakistan reportedly launched a campaign against some political groups and is amplifying it using various social media platforms. “As part of the campaign and sabotage plans, Ghauri was reviving his contacts in the city and recruiting people for carrying out terror activities in the country,” said an official from the intelligence wing.

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Hyderabad Police Commissioner C V Anand said Zahed was previously involved in several terror-related cases in the city and was regularly in touch with Pakistani ISI-LeT handlers.

Three absconding persons Farhathullah Ghouri alias FG, Siddique Bin Osman alias Rafique alias Abu Hamzala and Abdul Majeed alias Chotu all natives of Hyderabad and wanted in several cases were now settled in Pakistan and were working under the aegis of ISI, he said. “In the past, they recruited local youth and radicalized them and got executed terror attacks such as blast near Sai Baba Temple, Dilsukhnagar in 2002, bus blast at Ghatkopar in Mumbai and Task Force office blast at Begumpet in 2005. They also attempted to cause blasts near Ganesh Temple Secunderabad in 2004,” he said.

Anand further said Abdul Zahed in his confession revealed that Farhatullah Ghori, Abu Hamzala, and Majeed revived their contacts with him and they motivated and financed him to carry out the attacks.

“At the behest of Pakistan-based handlers Zahed recruited Samuddin and Maaz Hasan. During search operations, four grenades were recovered from the trio. He was planning to hurl grenades targeting public gatherings through his group members,” he said.

Maaz tried to visit Syria to join ISIS

Maaz Hasan Farooq alias Maaz (29) of Mehdipatnam already had his tryst with the law and was previously arrested by Nagpur Police for attempting to travel to Syria and join ISIS.

In his previous two attempts, the Telangana Police had caught him along with three others including a girl. All four had planned to travel to Syria via Kashmir and join the ISIS fighters. “All of them had said they were lured by the ISIS online recruiters into joining Jihad.

In one instance, Farooq was caught in West Bengal along with three others and after counselling was let off. Again a few months later, he attempted to go to Syria with help of some Kashmir-based persons and was caught in Nagpur. A case was booked by Hyderabad Police against Farooq and two others,” said an intelligence wing official.