Suspected terrorists escape detention, police launch hunt

Sat, May 17 03:15 AM

Senior officers of state and city police went into a huddle on Friday after two from a gang of five suspected Islamic fundamentalists escaped detention on Thursday when the Q Branch of state police raided a house, close on the heels of Jaipur blasts. Special police teams have been sent to Tanjavur, from where the leader of the group, Toufeeq, hails. In all, four special teams have been formed to trace Toufeeq alias Chotu - barely four feet tall - who is known to the state police. Another person Abu Tahir is also at large.

The arrested - Umar alias Palani Umar Kalimuthu of Palani, Syed Hassan of Tirunelveli and Abdul Khader of Mannady - have confessed to be members of a fundamentalist organisation, Islamic Defence Force, headed by Toufeeq. According to sources, they wanted to target leaders of other communities to disturb communal harmony in Tamil Nadu. The police have seized videos and foreign currencies that point towards a possible terror attack. The arrested have been charged under various sections of the IPC, including 123, 153 (a), 153 (b), said senior officers.

An extremist who is said to have links with extremists in Saudi Arabia, Toufeeq was involved in stockpiling explosives in a city house a few years ago. He also figured in a blast case in Mumbai in 2002, before being acquitted by a POTA court three years later. Police sources claimed that Taufeeq went to a Gulf country in 1999 and returned two years later. There, he is said to have been trained by fundamentalists, and on returning, founded the Islamic Defence Force in reaction to Gujarat riots. He supplied CDs containing material about the riots to incite the communalpassion in Tamil Nadu.

The group changed its name to Iraivan Oruvaney two years back or 'God is One', the translation of the name could also mean One God, a fundamentalist position compared to the more secular 'God is one'.

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