HE DEMANDED SUICIDE BELT FROM KASHMIRBASED HANDLERS

Apart from demanding an AK-47 assault rifle from his Kashmirbased handlers, Qamar reportedly also asked for a suicide belt to carry out ‘fidayeen’ attack at Kanpur’s Siddhi Vinayak temple.

“As per fresh revelations about his conversation with his handler on messenger service, Qamar had asked to send the weapons as soon as possible as he wanted to execute the attack at the earliest,” said a senior Anti Terror Squad official. He said Zama and his another friend Shahnawaz even tried to purchase AK-47 rifle from one Riyazudeen alias Riyaz who had some links with arms dealers when his handlers delayed sending him weapons.

Zama’s handlers, however, turned down the deal with Riyaz as he was demanding ₹4.5 lakh for one AK-47 while they were ready to pay only ₹2.5 lakh for it.

Riyaz was also arrested by the Assam police after Zama’s revelations.

MAIN OPERATIVES OF ASSAM MODULE HELD

Asim Arun, IG, Anti Terror Squad (ATS) said Zama and his two friends, Shahnawaz and Omar Farooq, were the main operatives of Assam-based module of Hizbul Mujahideen.

He said Shahnawaz provided SIM and mobile phone to Zama while Farooq arranged funds from Kashmir through his bank account. Zama’s acquaintance, Beharul Islam helped him in his travel while Shahnawaz’s uncle Zainul Ahmad helped him stay in Assam after he joined the terror group. Zama’s friend Shafiq-ul-Islam motivated him to join the terror group, he added.

“Other than the trio, another Assam resident Saeed-ul-Islam also joined Hizbul Mujahideen following in footsteps of Zama,” the IG said.

These people had already been arrested from Assam and were being quizzed.

Arun said the UPAnti Terror Squad will also seek custody remand of the three persons, Omar Farooq, Riyaz and Shahnawaz, and bring them to Lucknow to quiz them before Zama.