While the CCB officials managed to bust the terror module and nabbed 13 suspects, the kingpin and self-styled HuJI commander, Zakeer alias Ustaad, who is incharge of the operations, is still at large.
The CCB officials, who are on the lookout for Zakeer, said he is managing many more such sleepers cell across the country and could have taken shelter in one of them. The weapons seized from Shoaib Mirza and Akram are of 7.65-mm calibre and are made in Italy.
An official said they were investigating the source of these weapons and how they were smuggled into the country and reached Zameer.
Assistant commissioner of police, special inquiries, KN Jitendranath, who is the investigating officer of this case, said that besides the photographs of their targets, the police found a photograph of Narendra Modi, video clippings of Gujarat riots, material about ‘Islamaphobia’ of Bollywood films, RSS march past, clipping about Kashmir, materials on concept of Jihad and Mujahideens along with some provocative speeches.
After the team nabbed two of the suspects, they were taken to the house where their associates were staying. Ajaz Mirja, elder brother of Shoaib, Matiur Rahman Siddiqui, Riyaz Ahmed and Mohammed Yusuf were arrested from the house.
Searches were conducted at their house and Jihadi literature, pen drives, laptops, mobile phones and a dagger were seized. Recalling the operation, Jitendranath said he received credible information about the terror module planning to carry out attacks on some persons in Bangalore and Hubli. He confirmed the information through surveillance around JC Nagar, Cunningham Road, Shankar mutt and Queens road.
On August 29, Jitendranath informed his seniors, formed a team and secured two panchas as witness. The panchas were briefed about the operation and were requested to be a part of the operation.
While Shoaib and Jamaadar were nabbed in nick of time (they were waiting for their target, a journalist, to appear to attack him) and their associates were picked up at their house, Zakeer is still at large.
