Hyderabad: Hyderabad techie Salman Mohiuddin, who was arrested by the Cyberabad police in January, had confessed that he was attracted to ISIS after he faced discrimination in USA. His interrogation reports revealed that he wanted to go to Syria and wage a war against India. “I am religious, and during June 2014, after Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (the IS chief) declared the Caliphate, I observed the posts released by Al Hayat — a media centre of ISIS — and was attracted towards ISIS as I was facing discrimination (sic) in USA. I learnt more about the Caliphate and ISIS by browsing the Net,” Mohiuddin had told interrogators.
In 2010, Mohiuddin had left for the US to do a Masters in Science in transportation planning and management from the Texas Southern University in Houston. For two years, till 2014, he had worked as a desktop support engineer at oilfield service company, Baker Hughes in Texas and at Marathon Petroleum in Findlay, Ohio. But he came back to Hyderabad as he could not get his visa extended.
“I had no livelihood here (in Hyderabad), and used to spend hours on the Internet, chatting with ‘Daula Newsroom’ group members. I felt that Western forces were plundering Muslim property and Muslims were facing a pitiable situation all over the world and the solution was to establish the Islamic State, where Sharia law can be implemented,” he had told investigation officials.
In mid-August of 2014, he created a pro-Jihadi group on Facebook named ‘Daula Islamia’. He used to post updates on the Islamic State and other relevant information to attract youths. The page was later blocked by Facebook as its posts related to the IS, he confessed. About his interactions with other IS supporters, Mohiuddin had said, “I observed negative propaganda by Western media towards ISIS that one of the IS militants had married (a) six-year-old girl and (of) killing innocent people etc. In this regard, I started to chat with Abu Muhajir of Syria/Egypt, Abu Al Barra of Iraq who is doing aid work for IS, Hasan Abdul Gani of Iraq, and Abu Muhammod of Iraq, adding them (to) my friends’ list.”
Mohiuddin said it was during chats with “Abu al Barra al Sami, an IS sympathiser based in Syria, and Abu Mohammad of Turkey, a facilitator with links to IS” that he started giving serious thought to entering Syria from Turkey to become a fighter with the IS. Police had also arrested Afsa Jabeen, a Hyderabadi NRI, who was in touch with Mohiuddin.
Terror suspect granted bail:
A Hyderabad-based man, alleged to be involved in chatting on Jihadi websites about the dreaded Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and arrested here for possessing arms, was on Wednesday granted bail by a Delhi court. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Sanjay Khanagwal granted bail to 28-year-old Mohd Rahamath Pasha on a personal bond of Rs 25,000 with one surety of the like amount.
The Special Cell of Delhi Police had on October 5 arrested Pasha outside New Delhi railway station. He was allegedly found possessing two country-made pistols along with nine live cartridges. According to police sources, Pasha used to chat on Jihadi websites about ISIS but during the investigation, it was found that he was not linked with the dreaded outfit which has created havoc by carrying out terror strikes in several countries, including the recent Paris attack.
In its FIR lodged against Pasha, the police has alleged that he was suspected to be involved in “anti-national and criminal activities”. During the arguments on the bail plea, advocate M.S. Khan, who appeared for Pasha, told the court that his client has clean antecedents and was not involved in any crime earlier.
He also said that Pasha has been arrested in the case lodged under the provisions of the Arms Act and as he was not required for any further interrogation, he be enlarged on bail.
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