IISc: Rehman’s narco: ‘he met Lashkar brass in Saudi Arabia’

A narcoanalysis test conducted yesterday on the lone suspect arrested in connection with the December 28 terrorist attack at the Indian Institute of Science, 35-year-old Abdul Rehman alias Raiz-ur-Rehman, has provided the Bangalore police the first insight into his Lashkar-e-Toiba links but has provided few concrete leads to the conspiracy or the perpetrator.

Sources told The Indian Express that Rehman’s narco testimony needs to be cross-checked and has discrepancies on “various occasions” but he has claimed, for the first time, that he met the Lashkar top brass, while in Saudi Arabia. This includes Abdul Rehman Makki, Abdul Aziz and Abu Hamza. He also claims to have worked for the Hizbul Mujahideen.

During interrogation, Rehman had claimed he never visited Bangladesh despite a Dhaka visa stamp in his passport but during the narco, sources said, he admitted he did go to Bangladesh in 2003.

Asked who carried out the IISc terror attack, Rehman is said to have mentioned “Naveed and Naushad.” Naveed is believed to be Ghulam Yezdani—like Rehman, a native of Nalgonda in Andhra Pradesh. He currently operates from Saudi Arabia and Bangladesh for the Harkat-ul-Jehadi-Islami. The name Naushad was mentioned for the first time by Rehman.