3 ISI suspects, with terror plans, nabbed in Hyderabad

Hyderabad, Oct 03: Three persons were arrested on Sunday by Hyderabad police who were allegedly planning to carry out terror attacks in the city ordered by Pakistan's Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI).

Hyderabad police commissioner C V Anand was quoted by Hindustan Times as saying that the accused had conspired to cause terror acts including blasts and lone wolf attacks. The police seized four hand grenades, Rs 5 41,800 cash and a motorcycle from them.

The police identified the arrested as Abdul Zahed (40) from Moosarambagh, Mohd Sameeuddin (39) from Sayeedabad and Maaz Hasan Farooq (29) from Humayun Nagar.

The police commissioner said that Zahed had got a consignment of four hand grenades and was supposed to carry out terror attacks in the city. He also added that the police got leads following the raids conducted. During the raids, the three were arrested at Malakpet, according to the report in the daily.

During the preliminary information, it was found that Zahed was previously involved in several terror-related cases in Hyderabad. He was also involved in the suicide attack on the Hyderabad city police commissioner's task force office Begumpet in 2005.

Zahed was in touch with three ISI-LeT handlers - Farhatullah Ghouri alias FG, Siddique Bin Osman alias Rafique alias Abu Hamzala and Abdul Majeed alias Chotu.

The three ISI handlers belong to Hyderabad and are also wanted in several cases. They are now settled in Pakistan and working on the direction of ISI.

The city commissioner also said that they also radicalised local youth and carried out blasts in the city including near Sai Baba Temple, Dilsukhnagar in 2002, bus blast at Ghatkopar in Mumbai and Task Force office blast at Begumpet in 2005.

They also tried to carry out a blast near Ganesh Temple Secunderabad in 2004.

Zahed reportedly accepted during the interrogation that Farhatulla Ghori, Abu Hamzala and Majeed revived their contacts with him.

The police commissioner added that they motivated and financed Zahed to recruit and carry out terror attacks in Hyderabad again.

The three arrested persons were produced before the court and are being sent to judicial remand.