From Hyderabad to Kashmir: The story of a thief turned jihadi

Mohammad Taufeeq, the terrorist who was killed in an encounter at Jammu and Kashmir was a thief before he became a jihadi. It may be recalled that the terrorist outfit, Ansar Ghazwatul Hind had celebrated his martyrdom and said that Taufeeq hailed from Hyderabad.

Following this, the J&K police had written to their counterparts in Telangana seeking more details on Taufeeq. The preliminary round of inquiry conducted has revealed that Taufeeq had stayed in Hyderabad for a brief period.

Before coming to Hyderabad, he had stolen money from his home situated in Kothagudem.

Sources said that he had stolen gold and some money before he arrived in Hyderabad. After a brief stay in Hyderabad, he headed to Kashmir, where he joined the terror group affiliated to the Al-Qaeda.

The inquiry conducted by the police further revealed that he was involved in four cases of theft in 2007. However, he was acquitted in all case in the year 2009.

He was a habitual offender, the police said. He was also rusticated from school after he was caught stealing. He studied at the Atomic Energy School in Aswapuram at the Chandragonda village in Kothagudem between 1994 and 2007.

After he was rusticated, his parents enrolled him in a Madrasa in Bhadrachalam. Later on, he joined the KDR Government Polytechnic College. He managed to complete his diploma course.

The police suspect that his radicalisation took place at the Madrasa. He stayed there with two persons who had converted to Islam. He turned very religious and was encouraged to understand Islam better. He also participated in a mission to understand the teachings of Islam better.

Police sources say that it is not clear when he decided to make it to Kashmir. We are still investigating the matter and trying to find out if he had made it on his own or was tapped by some recruiter in Hyderabad.

OneIndia News