By IANS,
Bhopal : Teams of Madhya Pradesh’s Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) have fanned out to hunt for accomplices of alleged Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) activist Mohammad Akeel Qureshi who was arrested in Himachal Pradesh last month, police said.
During interrogation, Qureshi has revealed the names of five people including Arif Khan who have allegedly killed half a dozen people in Madhya Pradesh.
The ATS from Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat besides a team of the central Intelligence Bureau and the Military Intelligence are said to be interrogating Qureshi, police sources said.
Qureshi had reached Baddi district in Himachal Pradesh to kill three engineers of an industrial unit but was arrested with firearms and cartridges July 30 evening, police alleged.
“Various agencies are now trying to find out why he had taken up contract killing. The agencies are also investigating if he was trying to initiate SIMI activities there and if any terror strike was being plotted or was there a plan to use the area as a safe haven for other criminals from Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat,” said a police official who requested anonymity.
Madhya Pradesh ATS chief Pawan Shrivastava said: “The interrogations are still on.”
Himachal Pradesh police have got 12-day custody of Qureshi. During interrogation, he allegedly admitted that he was given a contract to kill three people for Rs.25,000 each.
Qureshi, a 25-year-old from Ujjain, had been arrested for his alleged involvement in anti-national activities and has spent five months in a Gujarat jail. The Madhya Pradesh police have confirmed his links with the outlawed SIMI.