Ayodhya: Cops put face to sixth terrorist

Eighteen days after terrorists targeted the disputed Ramjanmabhoomi complex in Ayodhya, the Special Task Force of Uttar Pradesh police today...

Eighteen days after terrorists targeted the disputed Ramjanmabhoomi complex in Ayodhya, the Special Task Force of Uttar Pradesh

police today released sketches of the sixth member of the gang who did not take part in the attack. Mahmood 28, a Pakistani national, had been in Delhi since October last year and enrolled for a spoken English course.

Senior Superintendent of Police Akhil Kumar told reporters here that they 8216;8216;have sufficient evidence establishing that Mahmood spent time with the five terrorists who were gunned down in the Ayodhya attack on July 5. He, in fact, was Younus8217; roommate8217;8217;.

Mahmood is believed to be the only surviving member of the gang. The other five were gunned down by security personnel, Kumar said. Mahmood, the most educated among the five terrorists, had 8216;8216;orchestrated8217;8217; the attack and organised the weapons, he added.

8216;8216;Mahmood is most probably hiding somewhere in Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Delhi or Uttar Pradesh, and we have flashed his photo all over India,8217;8217; Kumar said.

Investigations by the task force have revealed that Mahmood visited Ambedkar Nagar in Delhi twice. 8216;8216;Mahmood came to India in September last year and rented a house belonging to Arvind Soni, a paan masala trader from Khanpur for a meagre Rs 800 per month.8217;8217;

Soon after, he made friends in the locality and got himself admitted to an English-speaking course in Munirka. He attended the classes for nearly three months, although he was quite fluent in the language, Kumar said, quoting sources from the institute. The 28-year-old had taken care to change his residence several times.

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The task force had yesterday arrested a Unani doctor in Saharanpur, who had reportedly kept in touch with the militants and was also aware of their plans.

They had also found the hideout of the militants in Akbarpur, where they had reportedly stayed before making a final move to attack the shrine on July 5.