Ricin terror attack plot accused was attacked in jail for betraying nation: Gujarat Deputy CM

“Based on the preliminary information following a review I took on Wednesday morning, those who attacked these terrorists said that “jisne ye desh ki roti khayi hai ye desh ki anek yojnayon ka jinhone labh liya hai aur aise logon dwara kahin na kahin desh vidrodhi kam chal raha tha. Uske kaaran unke mann me akrosh tha isliye unhone ye hamla kiya” (Those who have eaten the bread of this country, who have benefited from several schemes of this country… Such people were carrying out anti-national activities somewhere. Because of this, there was anger in their (assailants’) mind, hence they carried out this attack),” Sanghavi said during the briefing of the Cabinet of Ministers.

The Gujarat ATS arrested Saiyed along with his two others, for attempting to isolate the highly toxic chemical agent Ricin from castor beans (Ricinus communis) in a bid to carry out a “major terror attack”.

Saiyed, who hails from Hyderabad in Telangana, suffered injuries to his eyes due to his spectacles, said Sanghavi. “A few days ago, the ATS arrested terrorists involved in desh drohi (anti-national) and terrorist activities. On Tuesday, there was a scuffle in the Sabarmati jail with them in which due to spectacles he suffered minor injuries. Even as our officers are investigating this incident, I took a review. This is the preliminary information and an inquiry is still on. A detailed report will come after the inquiry,” the Deputy CM said.

The city crime branch is investigating the alleged attack in Sabarmati Central Jail. An FIR was registered at the Ranip police station on the basis of a complaint by Saiyed. The three accused persons in this case include Anil Kumar, who is an undertrial in a murder case registered at Kagdapith police station; Shivam Sharma, who is an undertrial prisoner also in a murder case registered at Amraiwadi police station; and Ankit Lodhi, an undertrial prisoner in a POCSO Act case. They were booked under BNS section 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 117(2) (voluntarily causing grievous hurt), and 54 (abettor present).

In the FIR, Saiyed claimed that he was sitting in his barracks and the other two co-accused were sleeping on Tuesday morning when three men passed by their cell, saw them and walked away. Around 10 minutes later, the three men returned and began assaulting him, the FIR alleged. He was wounded in one eye. He raised an alarm and the three men fled. Prison staff then took him to the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, Saiyed claims in the FIR.

On November 8, the Gujarat ATS booked Dr Ahmed Mohiyuddin Saiyed (35), a resident of Hyderabad, Telangana; Azad Suleman Sheikh, (20), a tailor from Shamli, Uttar Pradesh; and Mohammad Suhail Mohammad Saleem Khan, a 23-year-old student from UP’s Lakhimpur Kheri, on November 8, along with the wanted accused Abu Khadija of Afghanistan, under sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and the Arms Act, were arrested the same day.