Pakistani national, family arrested at Jigani in Bengaluru with fake identify documents

Preliminary inquiry revealed that the wife is from Bangladesh. The Pakistani national met her in Dhaka and got married to her

In a joint operation by Central agencies, the Jigani police arrested a 48-year-old Pakistani national along with his wife and in-laws, who were living on the outskirts of Bengaluru allegedly with fake identities for the last six years. The arrest comes close on the heels of the NIA arresting an absconding accused in the Assam ULFA IED case who was hiding in Jigani working as a security guard.

Police raided a house and arrested the accused on September 29 before they were taken into custody for questioning.

Preliminary inquiry revealed that the wife is from Bangladesh. The Pakistani national met her in Dhaka and got married to her.

The couple is said to have illegally come to Delhi in 2014. They moved to Bengaluru in 2018.

With the help of a local agent, the family allegedly got IDs with fake names. They had been living in Jigani since 2018.

The police are questioning the man about his network, workplace and his activities during his stay in Bengaluru.

Earlier on September 26, the NIA, with the help of Jigani police, had picked up a 26-year-old Assamese man from Jigani Industrial Area. He is suspected to have improvised explosive devices (IED)-like substances to carry out blasts in Assam on August 15.

The accused, Girish Behra, is suspected to be a member of the proscribed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA). He was picked up from the premises of a private company in Jigani, a police officer said.

Accused claimed to be promoting teachings of preacher

Rashidh Ali Siddiqui, a 48-year-old Pakistani national, told the police that he was sent by his ‘handlers’ from Bangladesh to promote religious teachings of his leader in and around Bengaluru. The accused was using the name Shankar Sharma and claimed to be promoting the preachings of his leader.

However, police suspect that he could be part of a sleeper cell .

The police got a tip-off from their counterparts in Chennai. A team led by Inspector Manjunatha B. S. went to a rented apartment in Anagan Layout near DLF, Rajapura village, Jigani. Rashid’s wife Ayesha, 38, was using the name Asha Sharma. Her parents are Hanif Mohammed alias Ram Baba Sharma, 73, and Rubina alias Rani Sharma, 61.

During the raid, the police found a poster of Mehdi Foundation International, a name Jashne-e-Yunus along with a photograph of a religious leader.

Detailed questioning of the accused revealed that he hails from Liaqautabad in Karachi in Pakistan. He has married Ayesha,a native of Pakistan staying in Bengladesh, in 2011. It was an online marriage. Due to alleged harassment by his family members in Pakistan, he fled to Bangladesh and started promoting the preaching of religious leader Yunus Gohar. His expenses and remuneration were borne by Mehdi foundation whose members are spread across the world.

When some Muslim leaders attacked the group, Rashid was advised to go to India and promote the teachings of his leader.

With the help of Parvez, a member of the group from India, Rashid crossed into India at Malda in West Bengal along with his family, and proceeded to Delhi.

In Delhi, the family were given fake names — Shankar Sharma, Asha Sharma, Rani Sharma and Ram Baba Sharma. They were provided Aadhaar cards, DL and passports in the new names .

In 2018 the family went to Nepal to meet their religious leader who advised them to go to Bengaluru to promote his teachings and introduced him to Altaf for local logistics support.

As per his advise, Altaf brought them to Bengaluru and put them up in a rented flat. He had been taking care of their expenses since then.

During his stay in Bengaluru, Rashid used to talk to his family in Liaqautabad in Pakistan.

The racket was busted recently when Mohammed Yasin alias Karthik Sharma his wife Zainab Noor alias Neha Sharma, Altaf Ahmed and his wife Fathima Gohar, who had gone to Bangladesh to meet the religious leader, were caught by immigration officials while returning via Chennai

Published - September 30, 2024 02:18 pm IST