Suspect formed terror outfit to avenge police firing

HYDERABAD -) Terror suspect Viqar Ahmed, who was arrested Wednesday, floated the terror outfit Tehreek Galba-e-Islam (TGI) in 2007 to avenge police firing following the bomb blast at the historic Mecca Masjid.

Police Commissioner A.K. Khan said at a news conference late Wednesday that Viqar was arrested along with five associates. All the six would be produced in a court Thursday.

Police said TGI was involved in the killing of two policemen and one home guard since 2007.

Three short weapons with 35 rounds, four piston magazines, one dagger, a knife, CDs, a pen drive, four two-wheelers and two fake media identity cards were recovered from them.

Viqar, who was earlier associated with radical Darasgah Jihad-o-Shadat (DJS), formed the TGI and vowed to avenge the police firing immediately after the blast at the mosque.

“During last two anniversaries (of the blast), he decided to target at least one policeman and succeeded in his mission,” Khan said.

Nine people were killed in the blast at the mosque May 18, 2007. Five more were killed in the subsequent police firing on protesters near the mosque.

The police chief said TGI killed one policeman and one home guard in Hyderabad. TGI activists also killed one policeman in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, when he tried to prevent them from committing a bank robbery.

The accused confessed before the police that they committed robberies in Hyderabad and other places to fund their activities.

The arrested include Haneef, a resident of Ahmedabad living here. He had given shelter to Viqar in both the cities.

Syed Amjad alias Suleman is a staunch supporter of Viqar and had participated in all the offences with him. Zakir, Riaz and Saeed operated as members of TGI.

The accused allegedly shot dead a police constable in the old city of Hyderabad May 13 this year, five days before the third anniversary of Mecca Masjid blast.

Masked assailants opened fire on policemen, killing one, in Shahali Banda area, about a kilometre from the Mecca Masjid.

Last year, on the second anniversary of the blast, a home guard was killed and a policeman was injured in a similar attack when assailants opened fire on police at Falaknuma area of the old city.

Two policemen were injured Dec 3, 2008 in an attempt to arrest Viqar.