MP Police nab youth posing as 'Lashkar-e-Kahar' spokesman

Bhopal, July 27 (UNI) The Madhya Pradesh Police arrested a 20-year-old youth who confessed to having dispatched three e-mails from here, to a private TV channel, in the name of 'Lashkar-e-Kahar' in the wake of the 7/11 Mumbai serial blasts.

A total of five mails were sent. Following last night's arrest, the Mumbai Police and other investigating agencies are in touch with the city police.

''Accused Shariq Ahmad Khan has no less than 11 e-mail IDs. I cannot comment on whether or not he was involved in the Mumbai attack as investigation is progressing,'' Inspector-General Sanjeev Singh told reporters.

Khan, a resident of the local Shaheed Colony, has completed his education until the higher-secondary level and was enrolled in a GNIIT course. His father, a former bank employee, voluntarily retired recently.

''The first mail was dispatched at 1717 hrs on July 15. Claiming responsibility for the terror attacks, the accused described himself as the Lashkar-e-Kahar spokesman. On July 17 and 24, he sent similar e-mail from different cybercafes and signed off as Abu Mahaz,'' Mr Singh added.

The case was handed over to the Bhopal Police Crime Branch and a cyber crime experts team formed.

Earlier, Bhopal-resident Sumit Tamrakar posed as SIMI chief and sent mail -- to a daily newspaper and a news channel -- threatening to launch a terrorist strike here.

In Katni, a 11-year-old schoolboy dispatched e-mail to a news channel in the name of 'Lashkar-e-Ulhak'. However, police feel the motive was either mischief or mere sensationalism in the latter two cases.

The person who sent mail threatening to assassinate President A P J Abdul Kalam has also been apprehended at Indore.

UNI SD-AC YA DS1645