By Sahil Makkar, IANS,
New Delhi : Indian investigators are convinced terror attacks in the country, including last week’s blasts in Ahmedabad and Bangalore, are masterminded from Pakistan and Bangladesh. But every time they seek an Interpol ‘red corner’ notice so that the suspects are arrested wherever they are found, it is denied due to lack of “personal details”.
“We have clinching evidence that LeT, JeM and HuJI have formed a nexus and carrying out terror attacks in the country. HuJI militants travel to LeT bases in Pakistan for training and in turn provide logistic support in Bangladesh territory,” a top intelligence official told IANS.
“We strongly suspect that this nexus also involves SIMI and is using SIMI’s widespread network of nearly 20,000 activists to execute bombings in the country,” the official added, declining to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue.
Lashker-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) are based in Pakistan, and Harkat-ul-Jihad-e-Islami (HuJI) in Bangladesh. Students’ Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) is home grown but has been banned.
But despite the clinching evidence against LeT and HuJI ultras in terror strikes, Indian security agencies have failed to secure Interpol red-corner notices against them. Every time the plea is rejected due to insufficient “personal details”.
Joint Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) in Delhi Police Karnal Singh said: “Interpol has rejected our request for a notice against LeT’s northern India commander Abu Alqama and operative Zaid. Both are accused in the 2005 Delhi triple bomb blasts.
“The request was rejected because we don’t know where exactly these militants are hiding. Our neighbouring country has always denied their presence in its country. So Interpol could not issue a notice for them,” Singh told IANS.
In past similar requests have been rejected for HuJI commanders Waliullah and Shamim on the same grounds.
This time, intelligence agencies strongly suspect SIMI’s hand behind the synchronised bombings that ripped across Ahmedabad leaving at least 50 people dead and around 200 people wounded last week.
HuJI is said to be behind the six serial blasts in Bangalore the day before, which killed one person and injured scores.
Fingers have been pointed at the same Bangladesh-based outfit for triggering the blasts in Jaipur that killed 61 people in May and also for the synchronised bombings that ripped across three Uttar Pradesh towns leaving 13 dead and 80 people wounded last year.
Intelligence officials also claim that HuJI was behind the bombings in Malegaon in 2006, and Ajmer and Hyderabad last year.
The intelligence official, who declined to be identified, was convinced these terrorist groups were striking in India at the behest of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency.
Another top security official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said: “This nexus is proving lethal for India. It is now recruiting youth from every part of the country. Terrorists are sneaking into the country through porous borders.”
A senior Delhi Police official said after striking in the country, the militants fled to neighbouring countries through porous borders.
“After reaching Nepal and Bangladesh, the militants flee to Pakistan on fake passports and visas arranged by the ISI.”