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Gujarat police bust ISI plot to assassinate Advani, Keshubhai

The Gujarat police last night unearthed a plot hatched by the Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence to assassinate Union Home Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani and Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel and arrested an ISI agent who was killed while trying to escape after interrogation.

Gujarat Minister of State for Home and Border Security Haren Pandya said in Ahmedabad today that Abu Qasam alias Ajmal, the ISI agent, was arrested yesterday on a tip-off by the Anti-Terrorist Squad of the state police from near the Visat petrol pump in Sabarmati locality of Ahmedabad. He was brought to the ATS headquarters for interrogation where he revealed the plot.

After interrogation, while he was being taken to the inspector-general's office, Abu Qasam snatched a gun from a commando, but another commando shot him dead, Pandya said.

The minister pointed out that the ISI agent had crossed into India from the Jaisalmer border with the help of the Pakistan Rangers. His primary task was to plot Advani and Patel's murders.

Abu Qasam had also enrolled an accomplice, Bablu alias Usman, whom he used to contact in Bombay on a mobile telephone (number 9820458403).

Usman was a key man in the plot as he is believed to possess stocks of RDX (research and development explosive), arms and ammunition.

Abu Qasam also told the police that he was a key man in the team of Lashkar-e-Toiba's Azam Cheema who was also the ISI's commander in charge of organising terrorist activities and had been sent to India three months ago.

Around 11.30 pm yesterday, after getting information about Bablu's mobile phone, the ATS commandos were taking Abu Qasam to the inspector-general's office to make a long-distance call to his associate in Bombay. But on the way, Qasam suddenly pulled commando P S Raval's carbine and tried to open fire.

Another commando, Dinesh Jambu, immediately shot him. The subversive, who was seriously wounded, died on arrival at the Civil Hospital, Ahmedabad, at about midnight.

Pandya said a diary that had been seized from Abu Qasam was being studied.

The ISI agent had also undergone training in Afghanistan.

After arriving in India, Qasam landed in Gandhinagar. When he was arrested, he claimed to be a marble worker in a factory in the city. But he had been monitoring the activities and movements of ministers and VIPs in the state capital for two-and-a-half months, the minister said.

Abu Qasam had contacts in Jodhpur also, Pandya added.

UNI

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