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Journalism of Courage
Seventy-year-old Maulana Naseeruddin, arrested by the Gujarat police from Hyderabad yesterday, is wanted for ‘‘networking with local contacts to provide support and shelter to the killers (of former home minister Haren Pandya).’’
The Maulana, whose name also figures in the ISI conspiracy case chargesheet, is known for his fiery speeches inciting youth to join jehad. According to Hyderabad Police Commissioner R.P. Singh, the Maulana is suspected to have links with the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT).
Additional Commissioner (Crime) D.G. Vanjhara said different incidents took place ‘‘as part of the ISI conspiracy’’ and that ‘‘murder of Haren Pandya was one…Naseeruddin had established local contacts to provide support and shelter to Pandya’s killers, so his name also figures in the murder case’’.
The Gujarat police, armed with a non-bailable warrant, have been trying to arrest Naseeruddin since last December.
When Gujarat cops approached Andhra police in April, they were denied permission as ‘‘elections were on.’’ In May, after Naseeruddin was arrested on charges of trying to foment trouble during Ganesh festival, Gujarat police again approached their Andhra counterparts to get him to the state on a transfer warrant. But Andhra police refused.
The Crime Branch this time obtained an NBW from the POTA court judge. But getting Naseeruddin out of Hyderabad wasn’t easy. According to police, on Sunday when Naseeruddin came to the DGP’s office at around 8 pm, the Gujarat cops, who were waiting, took him into custody. Word spread that he was arrested and around 70 of his supporters and activists of Darsgah Jehad-o-Shahadat (DJS) gathered outside the office. They started pelting stones at the cops, and police fired in the air to quell the mob. One person was killed.
