Accused was in constant touch with ISIS sympathisers: Police

LUCKNOW : A detailed investigation by UP Anti-Terror Squad (UP ATS) revealed that Ahmad Murtaza Abbasi, the accused in the security breach at Gorakhpur’s Gorakhnath temple on April 3, was in constant touch with ISIS sympathisers, said Uttar Pradesh Police additional director general (ADG), law and order, Prashant Kumar here on Saturday.

The accused had funded over ₹ 8.5 lakh to the terror outfit through different banks accounts of the USA and Europe when the outfit decided to reorganise itself in 2020, the ADG said.

Kumar also said UP ATS scanned Abbasi’s social media accounts and emails through which they discovered that he was in continuous touch with ISIS sympathisers and deeply influenced by its radical literature since 2013.

He was studying chemical engineering at IIT-Bombay at the time.

He said Abbasi was also in direct touch with ISIS preacher and activist Mehndi Masood, who was arrested by Bengaluru police in 2013.

The ADG said the accused also took a pledge under a local jihadi group in 2014. The group later merged with ISIS.

The accused was interrogated in detail by ATS during seven days’ custody remand. He was shifted to Lucknow after a special ATS court in the state capital granted seven days’ custody remand for further interrogation. The accused was earlier lodged in Gorakhpur jail after being remanded in judicial custody for 14 days after his police custody remand ended on April 16. On April 3 evening, Abbasi had tried to enter the Gorakhnath temple premises. He had attacked the security personnel at its gate when challenged.

In the process, Abbasi injured two Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) constables with a sickle, but his bid to enter the premises was foiled. He was arrested.

The security staff seized the sickle used in the attack and a knife from his possession.

The case was transferred to the special ATS court in Lucknow last week after the investigation agency invoked the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act ( UAPA) against the accused on April 16.