Telangana: SIT probing cellphones of accused in terror module case

Police sources said that the SIT is trying to decode the accused's alleged conversation with the LeT terrorists in Pakistan. The SIT has seized 2 cell phones belonging to Abdul Zahid, one mobile phone belonging to Sameeruddin, and two mobile phones from Maaz Hasan.

Hyderabad: The SIT police investigating the Hyderabad terror conspiracy case has seized the cell phones used by the accused to decode the alleged conversation between the accused and the terrorists across the border, sources said. The accused Abdul Zahid of Malakpet, Mohd Sameeruddin (39) of Akber Bagh, Syeedabad, and Maaz Hasan Farooq (29) of Humayun Nagar, Mehidipatnam was arrested on October 2 on the charges of allegedly plotting terror attacks in the city and seized four hand grenades, hard cash of Rs 5,41,800, five cell phones and a motorcycle from their possession.

Police sources said that the SIT is trying to decode the accused's alleged conversation with the LeT terrorists in Pakistan. The SIT has seized 2 cell phones belonging to Abdul Zahid, one mobile phone belonging to Sameeruddin, and two mobile phones from Maaz Hasan. The SIT is also investigating how the hand grenades believed to have been dropped through drones from across the border in Kashmir landed in Manoharabad.

Police said that on September 28, one of the three arrested accused Sameeruddin went from Hyderabad to Manoharabad on a two-wheeler to get the 4 hand grenades and reached the city the next day. The SIT has claimed that Zahid had been planning the blasts for three years.

The SIT investigation has also revealed that Zahid continued to have conversations with Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorist Farhatullah Ghori, who is staying in Pakistan. On preliminary investigation, it was revealed that Abdul Zahid was previously involved in terror-related cases in Hyderabad including a suicide attack on the Hyderabad City Police Commissioner’s task force office in Begumpet in 2005.

He was in regular touch with Pakistani ISI-LeT handlers. Police said that Zahid received around 33 lakh rupees from Pakistan and that this money reached him through hawala. The SIT is also probing how the money sent by Farhatullah Ghori reached Zahid to be used to lure youth towards terrorism. Apart from Zahid, Samiuddin, and Maaz Hasan, the police are investigating whether anyone else is involved in this conspiracy.

Maaz Hasan was caught in Jammu and Kashmir while trying to go to Syria to join ISIS less than 4 years ago. The local police handed him over to the state police and sent him to Chanchal Guda Jail. Maaz Hasan of Humayun Nagar in Mehdipatnam met Zahed in Chanchal Guda Jail. The police are probing the details of people Maaz Hasan met after coming out of jail.