'Catch me if you can,' to 'this is the start' - The audacity of IM founder Subhan

Abdus Subhan Qureshi, the Indian Mujahideen operative arrested earlier this week has confirmed that he was trying to revive the outfit. While more details about his revival plan are surfacing now, one must re-visit a low-intensity blast that took place in Pune back in 2014.

Shortly after that blast, there was a message that the agencies received with the title, " this is just the start." The audacity with which the message was sent out clearly suggested that it had the signature of Subhan.

Back in 2008, Subhan had sent a message to the Gujarat police before the serial blasts which read, " catch me if you can."

A low-intensity blast at the Dagduseth Halwai Ganapathy temple at Pune was just the start of an attempt made by Subhan to revive the Indian Mujahideen.

Now following his arrest by the Special Cell of the Delhi police on Monday, it is confirmed that he had returned to India in order to revive the Indian Mujahideen.

The attempt to revive the Indian Mujahideen was not an overnight exercise. He had tested the waters in 2014 by ordering a hit in Pune. He had sent out a message to all inactive members of the Indian Mujahideen to wake up. The call was a desperate one and he had decided to take charge after the top rung of the outfit comprising, Yasin Bhatkal, Waqas, Tehsin Akthar and Assadullah Akthar were arrested.

Intelligence Bureau officials say that he repeatedly used the Modi factor as a recruiting point. In all the communications that he shared with the members, he would speak about an attack on Narendra Modi who by then had become the Prime Minister of India.

The Pune blast of 2014 was a tipping point. It was more of an announcement that the IM was still around. It was also a way in which Subhan was testing the waters and through this blast, he wanted to send a message to the cadres that the Indian Mujahideen was back.

During the communications that were unearthed by the agencies, Subhan is heard telling the cadres that there is a need to strike fear. Target Modi, he would tell them.

OneIndia News