AQIS operative hid Kandahar hijacker

Abdur Rehman, the al-Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) operative who is currently in 10-day custody of the Odisha Crime Branch (CB), had helped a terrorist involved in the 1999 hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight 814 (IC 814) to Kandahar hide in Cuttack, said sources in the state investigating agency.

Following his confession, the CB has launched a special drive to find out where exactly in Cuttack the terrorist was hiding and who had given him shelter.

According to Crime Branch special director general Dr Bijaya Kumar Sharma, a four-member team of the agency are questioning Abdur separately to extract more information regarding his anti-national activities.

“Initially, Abdur did not say anything about his alleged involvement in subversive activities. However, when confronted with National Investigating Agency (NIA) and Intelligence Bureau (IB) inputs, he confessed many things which are under examination,” Dr Sharma told reporters in Cuttack.

The CB has also come to know that one of the accused involved in the 2002 explosion at the American Embassy in Kolkata was also given shelter in Cuttack. Abdur’s elder brother had been arrested in connection with that case. However, he was released later due to lack of evidence. The agency is trying to find out who gave shelter to the embassy attacker in Cuttack.

Sources said the CB is also examining the sources of funds for Abdur’s madrasa near Cuttack and Jharkhand Jalsa programmes.

The 37-year-old Abdur, a resident of Pachimkachha in Cuttack district, had been arrested by the Delhi Police on December 16, 2015 on charges of radicalizing youth for terror activities. He was later booked under provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Abdur allegedly also had links with a man involved in a failed car bomb attack at Glasgow International Airport in 2007.