In a joint operation by Central agencies, the Jigani police arrested a 48-year-old Pakistani national along with his wife and in-laws, who were living on the outskirts of Bengaluru allegedly with fake identities for the last six years.
The police received a tip-off from their counterparts in Chennai and raided the rented house in Jigani and arrested the accused on Sunday before they were taken into custody for questioning.
The couple is said to have illegally come to Delhi in 2014. They moved to Bengaluru in 2018. With the help of a local agent, the family allegedly got IDs with fake names. They had been living in Jigani since 2018.
Accused claimed to be promoting teachings of preacher
The arrested Rashid Ali Siddiqui allegedly told the police that he was sent by his ‘handlers’ from Bangladesh to “promote religious teachings of his leader” in and around Bengaluru. The accused was using the name Shankar Sharma. However, the police suspect that he could be part of a sleeper cell .
The police said Rashid’s wife Ayesha, 38, was using the name Asha Sharma. Her parents are Hanif Mohammed alias Ram Baba Sharma, 73, and Rubina alias Rani Sharma, 61.
During the raid, the police found a poster of Mehdi Foundation International and a photograph of a religious leader, among other things.
“Detailed questioning of the accused revealed that he hailed from Liaquatabad in Karachi in Pakistan. He married Ayesha, a native of Pakistan staying in Bangladesh, in 2011. It was an online marriage. Due to alleged harassment by his family members in Pakistan, he fled to Bangladesh and started promoting the preaching of religious leader Younus Gohar. His expenses and remuneration were borne by Mehdi foundation whose members are spread across the world,” said the police.
“When some Muslim leaders attacked the group, Rashid was advised to go to India and promote the teachings of his leader. With the help of Parvez, a member of the group from India, Rashid crossed into India at Malda in West Bengal along with his family, and proceeded to Delhi. In Delhi, the family were given fake names — Shankar Sharma, Asha Sharma, Rani Sharma and Ram Baba Sharma. They were provided Aadhaar cards, DLs and passports with the new names. In 2018, the family went to Nepal to meet their religious leader who advised them to go to Bengaluru to promote his teachings and introduced him to one Altaf for local logistics support,” added the police.
Altaf allegedly brought them to Bengaluru and put them up in a rented flat. He had been taking care of their expenses since then. During his stay in Bengaluru, Rashid allegedly used to talk to his family in Pakistan.
The racket was unearthed recently when Mohammed Yasin alias Karthik Sharma, his wife Zainab Noor alias Neha Sharma, Altaf Ahmed and his wife Fathima Gohar, who had gone to Bangladesh to meet the religious leader, were caught by immigration officials while returning via Chennai.
Recent arrest
On September 26, the NIA, with the help of the Jigani police, had picked up a 26-year-old Assamese man from Jigani Industrial Area. He is suspected to have improvised explosive devices (IED)-like substances to carry out blasts in Assam on August 15. The accused, Girish Behra, is suspected to be a member of the proscribed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA). He was picked up from the premises of a private company in Jigani, a police officer said.
Published - September 30, 2024 02:18 pm IST
