Lucknow: Ahmed Murtaza Abbasi, an IIT graduate from Uttar Pradesh, who was arrested for allegedly trying to barge into Gorakhpur temple and assault two cops will be questioned by the UP's Anti-terrorism Squad for the next six days. Abbasi, a 2015 chemical engineering graduate from IIT-Bombay, had entered the temple premises on Sunday and allegedly attacked the police constables outside the gate of the Mutt while raising religious slogans.
He was produced in the Gorakhpur Civil Court on Monday amid tight security arrangements after which the court sent him to 14 days of judicial custody. Cases under Section 301 (Attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal code, Section 7 (Molesting a person to prejudice of employment or business) of the Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1932 among others have been registered against him.
After both the cases against Murtaza were transferred to ATS, a team brought him from Gorakhpur to Lucknow. For the next 6 days, he will be in remand of UP ATS. According to officials, videos found on Murtaza's mobile and laptop showed that the latter had been watching jihadi videos for the past several years.
It is said that he was impressed by banned Islamic preacher Zakir Naik. According to sources, many videos of gorilla warfare training have been found by ATS on Murtaza's laptop. UP ATS has also claimed that Murtaza had done a recce of many temples including in Nepal. Accused Ahmed Murtaza is the son of Munir Ahmed, a resident of Civil Lines in Gorakhpur city.
His father is a lawyer, who's been a legal advisor in many renowned companies. It has also been learned that Murtaza's family used to live in Mumbai earlier, but in October 2020, came to Gorakhpur and settled in Civil Lines. Murtaza lived in Mumbai and did a job while studying, but after working for 10 months, he went to Jamnagar in Gujarat.
Also read: Gorakhnath machete attack: UP ATS team arrives in Mumbai to collect more info on Murtaza Abbasi
