THE probe into Kerala8217;s terror links with the Valley, which began after four suspected militants from the state were killed in Kupwara last October, has revealed that many key players in the network had once been followers of Abdul Nazar Madani, who was acquitted in the 1998 Coimbatore serial blast case in 2007.
Madani, a cleric, had previously converted his extremist outfit, Islamic Sevak Sangh, into the People8217;s Democratic Party PDP after the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1993. He described the party as being dedicated to the cause of both Muslims and Dalits. After his long stint in jail, he went public claiming that he had turned over a new leaf and was soon hobnobbing with the Left leadership. Just three months ago, he aired his party8217;s intention to contest from Ponnani Lok Sabha seat in Malappuram, with Left backing.
Now, almost two months into the terror investigation, the Kerala police have found Madani8217;s one-time men among the dead, the absconding and the arrested. These loyalists had torched a bus, plotted to finish off CPIM leaders and planned to blow up bridges and buildings in order to exert pressure on the Government to get Madani released from a Tamil Nadu jail.
Of the four slain terrorists, Abdul Raheem of Malappuram had been one of the nine accused in the torching of a Tamil Nadu bus in Kochi on September 19, 2005. The Salem-bound bus was hijacked and burned because the TN Government had opposed Madani8217;s bail application.
Another accused in the case, Ummer Farook had been missing from Kerala after the bloody end of his friend in Kupwara. A native of Malappuram, Ummer was suspected to have undergone training in Pakistan some time ago.
The state anti-terror squad has found that two other suspected militants, N A Ismail, 32, and Sabir, 30, alias Ayoob, both hailing from Ernakulam district, had been among the accused in the bus blaze case. According to sources, Sabir was said to have taken the five Malayali extremists to Kashmir for training. A member of a Majlise organisation founded by Madani, Sabir was also one of the accused in a case related to planting of a bomb in front of the Coimbatore Press Club. The intended bombing had been planned as a retaliation for the alleged mistreatment Madani8217;s wife had to face in jail when she went to visit him.
Ismail was first arrested from Kannur in August 1999, while trying to distribute ISI-minted fake Indian currency. During interrogation, Ismail confessed to a conspiracy to kill prominent CPIM leaders, including the then CM E K Nayanar, whose government had nabbed Madani after the blasts.
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It is believed that the extremist gang was groomed by Ameer Ali, an expert in making bombs. The police are on the hunt for Ameer, who was Madani8217;s bodyguard.
While one of the arrested, Mujeeb, a native of Kannur, had family ties with Madani, another wanted in the terror list, Sainudheen alias Sathar Bhai was the father-in-law of the slain militant Raheem, a PDP worker. Sainudheen had a noteworthy terror history, which began with his involvement in the pipe bomb cases in Malappuram in 1993. Abdul Jabbar, who escaped from police firing in Kupwara, was married to Sainudheen8217;s wife8217;s sister. Jabbar, now in judicial custody, had been a PDP worker. The latest terror accused to fall into the police net from the one-time camp of Madani was C K Abdul Hameed, 45, who was taken into custody by the Kerala police from Delhi last week. He had been a prime accused in the bid to attack Nayanar. Hameed had confessed that he had arranged shelter for Sabir.
The police are on the lookout for Tadiyantavide Nazeer, 32, one of the most wanted terror leaders in Kerala. He had been one of the accused in the assassination bid against Nayanar and the planned bomb attack on Coimbatore Press Club.
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