NIA Raids Part 2: How Dec 26 Morning Brought Misfortune to 5 Accused Picked Up from Amroha, Hapur

It was a usual morning when Mufti Mohammad Saquib (24) left his home at Vait village in Hapur district to lead ‘Namaz-e-Fajr’ (the prayer Muslims offer before sunrise) at a Jama Masjid (congregational mosque) in Ghaziabad district’s Buxer village. Unaware of the trouble ahead, he rode his scooter, and gave lift to an elderly person from his village, but he could reach the destination, as officers of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) picked him up on December 26.

He was taken to a local police station, and was later produced in a court along with nine others who were arrested on the charges of being associated with the Harkat-ul-Harb-e-Islam, a newly discovered group allegedly inspired by the Islamic State (IS) that is said to be planning to bomb key targets in Delhi and national capital regions (NCR).

The NIA claims that Saquib helped Mufti Suhail Ahmad – the alleged mastermind of the suspected terror IS-module who was arrested from Mullano Mohalla in UP’s Amroha town – procure weapons.

The cleric got married to Khadija Begum on July 22, 2017, and the couple has an eight-day-old baby. Though the inconsolable wife could not speak, Saquib’s father Iftikhar Ahmad – who is also an imam (prayer leader) at a mosque in Bulandshahr – claimed his son is “innocent”, and that he is being “framed”.

“We don’t have any criminal record. We fail to understand the conspiracy theories being coined by the agency. We don’t even know what the ISIS stands for. How can a preacher of a peace-loving religion be a terrorist?” he questioned.

He said the only religious group his son is associated is Tablighi Jamaat – which has no political affiliation, and states that it rejects violence of any kind. “Around 15 persons suddenly entered, and searched our home. Before we could understand anything, they left with two mobile phones, one tablet and a few religious books. They told us that they have taken Saquib into custody, and he would be released after questioning,” he said.

Chhote Khan, the husband of the Vait village’s chief, said the entire family is really “innocent and respected” in the village. “The allegation against them is beyond our understanding,” he said with surprise.

Asked about Saquib’s nature and social and religious activities and the source of income of his family, he claimed, “He (Saquib) is a humble and very soft-spoken boy. Since he is an imam, he was involved in different legitimate religious practices. One thing that not only me but the entire village will tell you is that he was not at all involved in any suspected activity. It’s a witch hunt and nothing else.”

The family’s expenses depend on the earnings of the father-son duo and 5-6 bigha (traditional unit of measurement of area of a land) land they have. Saquib is eldest among the six brothers and sisters.

Huge cache of arms, explosives and rudimentary rocket launcher – a reality?

The NIA said 10 arrests were made from Amroha and Hapur in Uttar Pradesh and from Jaffarabad in Northeast Delhi. It claimed that it has busted an IS-module, and has foiled a planning of a series of terror strikes. The agency also claimed to have seized a huge cache of arms and explosives and even a rudimentary rocket launcher.

Of four persons arrested from Amroha are two brothers Saeed Ahmad and Raees Ahmad – both of them run welding shops around the district. From these workshops, which have now been sealed, the federal investigation agency claims to have seized the much talked about “rocket launcher” and most of the “explosives” that – according to investigators – include gunpowder, sulphur and potassium chlorate.

Those close to the two the two workshops – who did not wish to be named – told Newsclick the two brothers used to repair tractor trolleys used to carry sugarcane. “The alleged rocket launcher is actually a hydraulic jack used in trolleys. You check for yourself any trolley and you will find such jacks in majority of the trolleys,” they claimed.

Asked about the claim regarding the seizure of explosives, they said the NIA should be enlightened that sulphur is used in welding and every workshop where welding is done, sulphur is found.

In addition to the two brothers, other who have been arrested from Amroha are Mufti Suhail, his suspected associate Mohammad Irshad – an autorickshaw driver from Qazi Zada colony who was preparing for her sister’s wedding, and the two brothers – Saeed and Raees.

All the 10 accused have been remanded to 14-day NIA custody.