Delhi Police arrests Abdul Qureshi, alleged co-founder of Indian Mujahideen

Delhi Police's Special Cell Monday said it arrested Abdul Subhan Qureshi, one of the founders of Indian Mujahideen (IM). He was wanted in several terrorism-related cases.

Qureshi, who was living in Nepal with forged documents, returned to India to revive the banned IM, Special Cell chief Pramod Kushwaha told reporters. He had reportedly come to meet someone in Ghazipur and was arrested after a brief exchange of fire.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Kushwaha told the press how Qureshi had been underground for many years and had given the police the slip. The court sent him to a 14 day police remand.

Interestingly, Yasin Bhatkal, another IM co-founder was also arrested from the Indo-Nepal border in 2013.

Qureshi shot to the limelight after a series of bomb blasts in Ahmedabad and Surat in 2008 when 26 bombs planted in tiffin boxes wreaked havoc in the Gujarat cities. According to security agencies Qureshi trained those responsible in making bombs.

Gujarat Police's Anti-Terrorism Squad and the Crime Branch of Ahmedabad Police are in touch with the Special Cell, reports indicated.

The lanky 46-year-old former Qureshi, for whom National Investigation Agency declared an award of Rs 4 lakh, used several aliases such as Kasim, Zakir, Qab and Touqeer. He went to a missionary school in Mumbai after his family shifted from Rampur in Uttar Pradesh.

Qureshi, who has worked with several information technology companies, was reportedly associated with Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), also banned. The 'techie-bomber', as the agencies call him, joined SIMI in 1998 while working for a computer firm. He was reportedly instrumental in organising many SIMI’s conferences, including the one in Aurangabad, before the organisation was banned in 2001.

The NIA was also after Qureshi because he allegdly organised a secret training camp for SIMI in December 2007 at Thangalpara, Wagamon (Kerala). Accordin to NIA, The intention of organising such a camp was “to wage war against the nation.” Its chargesheet states that members of the banned outfit were trained in using explosives, petrol bombs and firearms at the camp, which preceded the spate of 2008 blasts.

Edited by Joyjeet Das