Hyderabad blasts: The man who recced Dilsukh Nagar

Following the twin blasts in Hyderabad, the city police is in touch with their counterparts in New Delhi, who have conducted an investigation on several Indian Mujahideen operatives, alleged to be linked to the blasts. Vicky Nanjappa reports.

The police is interested in questioning one Zuber alias Maqbool, a resident of Nanded who was handpicked to carry out attacks in Hyderabad.

The Delhi police, who carried out several arrests last year had found during their investigation that the module controlled by brothers Riaz and Yasin Bhatkal had ordered that a survey of several areas in Hyderabad be carried out.

The areas that were to be surveyed included Dilsukh Nagar and Abids in Hyderabad. Zuber’s investigation report (who also goes by the alias of Syed Maqbool) reveals the IM plan to carry out an attack in Hyderabad.

The interrogation report:

Sustained interrogation of the accused arrested by us (the Delhi police) revealed that a person, namely, Sayed Maqbool aka Zuber, S/o Syed Haji, R/o Samtam Nagar, Near Madina Masjid, Dharmabad, Nanded, Maharashtra was in close association with them and together they planned to commit fiyadeen attacks on the Buddhist shrines in Bodh Gaya in Bihar, as retaliation to the alleged atrocities being committed upon Muslims in Myanmar.

Their plan had the approval and support of the Bhatkal brothers. Sayed Maqbool was arrested after great deal of efforts on October 23, 2012, from Hyderabad, where he had been hiding to evade his arrest.

Maqbool came in contact with Imran (another accused) through a common friend. The latter introduced Maqbool to Asad and Irfan. Maqbool taught them how to make a bomb by using urea, diesel and fire cracker powder at Asad's farmhouse in Aurangabad.

In April 2012, Imran introduced Maqbool to the Bhatkal brothers. Before the Pune serial blasts of August 1, 2012, Maqbool, Irfan, Imran and Asad had discussed their plan of carrying out a fidayeen attack on Buddhist shrines at Bodh Gaya, Bihar. Since the Bhatkals wanted to avenge the death of IM operative Qateel Siddiqui, they decided to carry out bomb blasts at Pune first.

About a month before Ramzan in 2012, Maqbool helped Imran in doing a recce of Dilkhush Nagar, Begum Bazar and Abids in Hyderabad on a motorcycle. This was done on the instructions of Riyaz.

Maqbool began his criminal career along with one Azam Gauri aka Aleem, a resident of Warangal, Andra Pradesh (killed in a police encounter in 2000).

His first criminal act was the murder of Krishna Moorthy (First Information Report No. 220/1999, u/ss. 302/120-B/34 Indian Penal Code read with sec. 25/27 Arms Act, PS Bodhan, District Nizamabad in which he has been convicted for life. However, he was released from jail in October 2009 after commutation of his sentence.

His next criminal act was the murder of one Devender (case FIR No. 195/1999, u/ss. 302/120-B/34 IPC read with ss. 25/27 Arms Act, PS CID, Andhra Pradesh), who had allegedly encroached on a Masjid land in Uppal, A.P.

Maqbool was also involved in the murder of Mahaveer Prasad (Case FIR No. 172/2000, u/ss. 302/34 read with s. 6 Explosive Substances Act, PS Afzal Ganj, Hyderabad City), a jeweller. Here the motive was robbery.

Maqbool was instrumental in the formation of the Indian Muslim Mohammadin Mujahidin -- a terrorist organisation -- at village Mancharia in 1999 along with Azam Gauri and Roshan Baig.

They worked under the garb of social reformists by showing that their objectives were:

(1) To stop dowry system in society;

(2) To fight against corruption;

(3) To stop pornographic films.

Azam Gauri had taught Maqbool how to prepare Improvised Explosive Devices, so that they can cause blasts in those theatres where blue films were being shown.

Maqbool alongwith others were involved in the following bomb blast cases:

• Bomb blast at Kaketiya Hotel, Lal Darwaza (FIR No. 01/2000, u/ss. 4/5 Explosive Substances Act, PS Moghalpura, District Hyderabad City)

• Blast at Sharda theatre (FIR No. 28/2000, u/ss. 307/120-B IPC read with ss. 3/4/5 Explosive Substances Act, PS Itwara, District Nanded.

• Blast in Lamba Theatre, Secunderabad (FIR No. 31/2000, u/s. 120-B IPC read with ss. 4/5/6 Explosive Substances Act, PS Begumpet, Secunderabad, Hyderabad City,

• Blast in the House of Azam Ghori while preparing IEDs. (FIR No.28/1998 u/s 307 IPC read with Sec. 3/4/5 Explosive Substances Act, PS Dharmabad, District Nanded.

Other cases in which he is involved are as below:-

• FIR No. 39/2000, u/ss. 120-B/153-A IPC, PS CID, Andhra Pradesh (a case of conspiracy).

• FIR No. 28/2000, u/s. 25 Arms Act, PS Dharmabad, District Nanded (recovery of fire arms only).

Maqbool is also close to Abdul Rauf, a resident of Shahidabad, and a leader of the All Indian Majlis Itehad-ul Muslimi, a political party, and one Nashruddin. Both Abdul Rauf and Nashruddin have been involved in Hiren Pandya murder case of 2003.

Maqbool was appointed as the Dharmabad district president of the AIMIM by Rauf.