Kasim Stimberwala’s house in Rander, Surat. (Express Photo by Hanif Malek)
Following the arrest of two suspected IS operatives from Surat, Gujarat ATS officials on Monday picked up a maulana (Imam) of the Botawala mosque in Surat. The ATS also carried out search operations at residences of the arrested operatives. Maulana Ishaq of Botawala mosque was picked up near Makkai pool bridge in Nanpura. However, he was released after a round of interrogations. Maulana has been instructed to not leave the city till the time investigations are over.
Acting with the help of IT technical surveillance, the ATS last Wednesday arrested advocate Ubed Mirza from near his house in Saiyedpura area in Surat and his aide Kasim Stimberwala from Ankleshwar. The two were produced at the JMFC court on Thursday after which they were put under police remand for ten days. Preceding the arrests of duo, ATS officials had searched Kasim’s house where they seized some documents. They also visited the Sardar Patel Hospital and Heart Institute in Ankleshwar, where Kasim worked prior his arrest, to take statements of his co-workers.
The FIR of the Gujarat ATS refers to transcripts of telephonic conversations between Ubed and one of his associates, identified as Shahid. (See box) Superintendent of police of the Gujarat ATS K K Patel told The Indian Express, “We have interrogated Maulana Ishaq and took his statements. We have told him not to leave the city till investigations ends. We have seized the CPU of the computer which Kasim was using at the hospital. We have also seized Jamaica work permit letters from his residence. Both the seized items have been sent to FSL for further analyses. We have also taken statements from Kasim’s friends and family members.”
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