The terror techie

What strengthens police suspicion is the fact that he has a way with words as well. 8220;Considering his command of English and that he edited Shaheen Times and Movement, the English publications of the SIMI, it seems that he wrote all terror mails and sent them,8221; said a source.

The cops believe Tauqeer is an explosives expert and adept at assembling improvised explosive devices.

8220;Another little known aspect of this elusive suspect is that he held the post of treasurer in SIMI, and played a major role in gathering funds necessary for the October 1999 and January 2001 national conventions of the organisation,8221; said a senior police officer on condition of anonymity.

8220;He studied at Anjuman-e-Islam High School in Byculla for some time, and then as far as we know he took his Class X exams from Antonio D8217;Souza High School in Dadar in 1988. He is very sharp and fared quite well in his studies. He later completed diplomas in electronics and software applications from a Marol training institute before getting a job at a small firm, String Computers in Mazgaon. After that, he also worked with Radical Solutions in Fort. His last job was at Datamatics, a direct selling agency of IT giant Wipro. When he left the agency in 1998, his resignation letter stated that he wanted to take a year off to pursue religious matters,8221; added the officer.

Said Additional Commissioner of Police, Anti-Terrorism Squad, Parambir Singh: 8220;Safdar Nagori and Shibly Peedical Abdul have told us during their interrogations that Qureshi was a SIMI treasurer, and would collect contributions and raise money for the organisation. He also doubles up as a computer and explosives expert.8221;

8220;His employers have told us that he was brilliant at his work. His skills were superior to those of better qualified employees. He was given several important and difficult assignments to handle,8221; added Singh.

Tauqeer was born and raised in Mumbai8217;s Masjid Bunder area. His father Usman, 67, had migrated to the city from Rampur in Uttar Pradesh. The family shifted to Highland building in the Narendra Park colony of Naya Nagar in Mira Road, a Muslim-dominated northern suburb of the city, in 2006.

According to ATS sources, Tauqeer first came under the police radar after his name was dropped by several arrested accused in the 7/11 blasts case, namely SIMI activists Aasif Khan Bashir Khan alias Junaid and Ehhteshaam Siddique, as well as Lashkar-e-Toiba8217;s Mumbai chief Faizal Shaikh. He was, however, never booked in the case due to insufficient evidence.

Tauqeer has two sisters and four brothers, all of whom are well-educated. They now claim they have not met him since 2001 when SIMI was banned. However, they do not know how Tauqeer8217;s wife Aafia is bringing up a son who is over two years old.

The neighbours, however, don8217;t like probing queries. Sheikh Akram Ali, the former secretary of Narendra Park, told The Indian Express, 8220;Even if any member of the Tauqeer family is involved in the blasts case, why has the media picked other residents of the society? The last time Tauqeer8217;s name cropped up in the Ahmedabad blasts case, the picture of our building was splashed everywhere. We have decided to prevent mediapersons from entering the colony henceforth.8221;

On Tauqeer8217;s family, he said, 8220;I do not know much about the family details, but his father is a deeply religious and an upright man. We often meet during namaaz and he seems like a decent man.8221;

According to another resident on the ground floor of the building, who did not wish to be named, 8220;We got to know from newspapers that a member of Tauqeer8217;s family might be a suspect in the blasts case. Apart from that, no one in the society knows much about the family, though the father, who does not seem to work anywhere, is seen while going and coming back from his prayers.8221;

At their sixth-floor residence, Tauqeer8217;s family refused to open their door, choosing to answer queries from behind closed doors. 8220;We do not wish to make any comment on anything,8221; is all that a female voice said. When asked whether any police officers had visited the family, she said, 8220;No, we have not had any visit from any police officers recently and we do not want to discuss the issue at all.8221;

Following the 7/11 blasts, seven members of Tauqeer8217;s family filed affidavits before the PMO and the Chief Minister, alleging police torture.

In Delhi, however, the building associated with Tauqeer 8212; Gali number 9 in Zakir Nagar 8212; looks dilapidated with partially deleted alphabets of SIMI. 8220;No one goes to this building. It looks like a haunted place,8221; said a resident.

Tauqeer8217;s name is not new for Delhi Police as they have been looking for him since September 28, 2001, when SIMI8217;s head office in Zakir Nagar was raided and sealed. Highly placed sources confirmed that Tauqeer, who was a new recruit in the SIMI then, was declared a proclaimed offender in the raid.

SIMI was banned on September 27, 2001, and the very next day Special Branch and New Friends Colony police raided the SIMI headquarters at Gali number 9 in Zakir Nagar and arrested four SIMI activists, including its national president Shahid Badar Falah, a native of Azamgarh UP. Sources said while SIMI8217;s general secretary Safdar Nagori edited the Hindi magazine of the organisation, Tauqeer was the editor of its two English publications.

FACTFILE

8226; Born and raised in Mumbai8217;s Masjid Bunder area

8226; Name first cropped up after Mumbai8217;s 7/11 blasts

8226; Delhi Police looking for him since 2001, when SIMI was banned

8226; Was editor of Shaheen Times and Movement, the English publications of the SIMI

8226; Was also SIMI treasurer

8226; Has diplomas in electronics and software engineering

8226; Last job was at Datamatics, a direct selling agency of Wipro