Another Indian Mujahideen member held, say Delhi Police

Delhi Police Tuesday claimed to have arrested one more cadre of the Indian Mujahideen terror outfit, who had provided refuge to Yasin Bhatkal, the main accused in the 13/7 Mumbai blasts case, in a joint operation with National Investigation Agency (NIA).

Talha Abdali alias Israr was apprehended from Barabanki in Uttar Pradesh Sunday and was brought to Delhi. He was being jointly interrogated by Delhi Police and the NIA, said a senior police official.

Considered an important ideologue of the Indian Mujahideen, Abdali’s name had first surfaced in 2008 and he had been on the run since then.

During intensified investigations since November last year when Delhi Police apprehended six Indian Mujahideen members, his name was cropping up in almost every second intercept.

The arrested operatives of Indian Mujahideen in November had told Abdali’s name to the investigators and had said that Yasin Bhatkal alias Shahrukh had taken refuge at his place in November last year when security agencies had increased surveillance following the Sep 13 Delhi High Court blast.

Police last week arrested a founder-member of Indian Mujahideen, Mohd Tarique Anjuman, from a suburb of Patna.

Anjuman was an active member of banned SIMI (Students Islamic Movement of India) organisation since 1998 and later was one of the founder members of THE Indian Mujahideen since 2003 along with Iqbal Bhatkal.

Anjuman is believed to be one of the ideologues who used to motivate youth to join the terror outfit and provide them arms training. During the last decade or so, he has been frequently visiting Bhatkal village in north Karnataka.