Police denies reports on Kafeel's links with al-Qaeda

Bangalore, July 10 (UNI) Police today denied reports that it had evidence to prove that Glasgow airport attack suspect Kafeel Ahmed had connections with al-Qaeda even as a city-based IT firm confirmed that he worked in their organisation as an aeronautical engineer.

The hard disk obtained from the residence of Kafeel's parents here had also been sent to the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) for decoding the content.

AGM (Corporate Communications) of Infotech Enterprises K S Susinder told UNI that Kafeel had worked in the firm for six months during 2005-06. He was a sincere and reserved person, he added.

Kafeel was working on aeronautic designs but the official could not substantiate on the project, saying it was confidential.

Reports said an Australian investigating officer had arrived in India to take up investigation, but officials could not confirm his arrival.

The high capacity 320 GB hard disk recovered from Kafeel's residence in Bangashankari has now been sent to C-DAC and a report was likely to be submitted by the Centre to the Bangalore police.

According to sources, Kafeel had given the disk to his mother Zakia Ahmed, who had in turn given it to her daughter Sadia.

However, once the identity of the attacker of Glasgow airport was established, the city police recovered the hard disk from the residence of the Ahmeds.

Counsel for the Ahmeds B T Venkatesh came down heavily on the media for 'virtually besieging' the family and forcing them into a house arrest.

Speaking to UNI he said, ''This is nothing but a third degree harassment. The family is undergoing agony and are under duress. Due to media swarming, they have not been able to move out of their house,'' he said.

''The media has launched a ferocious campaign without any proof.

It is punishing the parents for no fault of theirs. What is their fault. They are the parents of the two boys and nothing else,'' the lawyer added.

Apart from Kafeel, his brother Sabeel Ahmed and cousin Mohammed Haneef, both doctors by profession, were the two other Indians arrested in connection with the failed Glasgow airport attack. While Mr Sabeel was arrested in Liverpool, Britain, Haneef was held in Brisbane, Australia.

UNI