Bengaluru: Suspected al-Qaeda member Maulana Anzarshah Qasmi, who was arrested by the Delhi Police in Bengaluru on Wednesday, allegedly planned suicide bombings in Delhi, targeting ‘high-profile personalities’.
The 50-year-old accused has been brought to Delhi on transit remand and is being interrogated by the Delhi Police Special Cell after he was charged under sections 120-B (Criminal Conspiracy) of the IPC and relevant sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
The suicide bombings were plotted along with the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba.
Qasmi is the fourth al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) suspect to be nabbed in the past one month. The three earlier arrests were made in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal district. Sources said Qasmi’s name cropped up during the questioning of arrested AQIS suspects Zafar Masood, Mohammed Asif and Abdul Rehman.
The groups have reportedly infiltrated terrorists into India through Jammu and Kashmir.
Qasmi was a resident of Iliyasnagar in Bengaluru’s Banashankari 2nd Stage. Qasmi was a cleric at a mosque in Banshankari and had moved to Iliyasnagar last month. He was picked up from his friend’s house at 9.30 pm on Wednesday. On Thursday, a court remanded Qasmi in police custody till January 20.
