Hyderabad, July 21: Shaukatullah, who was arrested from the Hyderabad airport, along with his brother financed the LeT and HuJI to target the state Special POTA Judge Jyotsnaben Yagnik on Monday remanded 43-year-old Akshardham attack accused Shaukatullah Ghori to 15 days police custody.
Crime Branch ACP Usha Rada while presenting Shaukatullah in the POTA (Prevention of Terrorist Activities Act) court, had requested for a 30-day remand. The arrest of Shaukatullah, an imam who was arrested from the Hyderabad airport, could help the police crack several cases of terror in the country, especially the attack on the Akshardham temple in Gujarat. Shaukatullah, brother of hardcore militant Farhatullah Ghori, is said to have played a major role in financing outfits such as the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and the Harkat-ul-Jihad Islami (HuJI).
Farhatullah and 24 others are still wanted in the case. On September 24, 2002, two terrorists had attacked Akshardham temple in Gandhinagar that left 34 dead and 86 injured.
FUNDS RAISED
According to sources in the Intelligence Bureau, Shaukatullah and his brother’s prime focus was to sponsor terrorism in Gujarat, with the LeT and the HuJI specifically instructing the duo to raise funds for Gujarat operations alone. Both brothers were among the 12 most wanted terrorists by Gujarat police.
The IB also says that Shaukatullah used to raise funds from rich businessmen in the Gulf and then channelise it to Gujarat for acts of terror. For the Akshardham attack, he is said to have raised Rs 5 lakh through his sources in Gulf . “We need to know whom they funded the money, and their links with other terror groups,” Rada told the court. Shaukatullah was initially recruited by the Jaish-e-Mohammad, who were looking for a key person in the Gulf to brainwash youth and also help with recruitment.
However, he gradually moved into the Lashkar which was planning to go global. He then got in touch with the LeT, which immediately took him into their fold almost 10 years ago. He helped the Lashkar with funding and also ensured that youth from the Gulf countries were indoctrinated with the Lashkar’s world view.
RIYADH HAVEN
During the planning stages of the Akshardham attack, Shaukatullah constantly shuttled between Pakistan and Riyadh. However, after a red corner alert was sounded against him and the Gujarat police began to hunt him, he settled down in Riyadh. Shaukatullah maintained a low key for some time until the pressure eased. However, after a few years he began actively participating in fundraising activities.
The IB said that Shaukatullah used funds which were raised for relief victims through religious institutions to channelise them into terror routes so that subversive activities could be carried out. Shaukatullah had sent several men from the Gulf for training to Pakistan, who in turn were used for operations in India. The IB says the interrogation of this man would be key since he could provide vital clues regarding LeT and other outfits’ operations in the Gulf countries.
Cracking the Gulf code is essential for Indian security agencies as they suspect that the biggest threat for the country apart from Pakistan will be from the operatives settled in the Gulf. The POTA court has already sentenced six accused in the Akshardham case.
–Agencies