‘Former SIMI activist earlier jailed for murder bid in MP’

KOLKATA: The former Students’ Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) activist, identified as Abdul Raqib Qureshi, was imprisoned in Madhya Pradesh for attempting to murder and raising pro-Taliban slogans in a court.

During the probe the investigating officers of the Special Task Force (STF) of the Kolkata Police also came to know that Qureshi was arrested in connection with an attempt to murder case during 2009 at the M. P. Nagar police station of Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh.

After his police remand was over, Qureshi was lodged in judicial custody. During the trial sessions, Qureshi suddenly shouted pro-Talibani slogan during a hearing of the case in 2014, sources said.

After the trial was over he was pronounced guilty and awarded with imprisonment. Qureshi was released from prison in 2019.

Thereafter, he became active on social media. There he came in contact with Md. Saddam alias Saddam Mallick alias Abdul Mallick, who was arrested by the STF on January 6 evening along with another terrorist identified as Sayeed Ahmed.

Police sources informed that Qureshi after getting acquainted to Saddam, the duo planned to meet to discuss their next course of action somewhere outside Bengal and Madhya Pradesh.

Police have so far come to know that Qureshi was given the responsibility of arranging arms, which were to be handed over to Saddam and Sayeed

However, cops are yet to find out how many youths they have recruited so far and where they are residing at present.

Cops have come to know that Saddam and Sayeed were planning attacks on selected people due to which major law order deterioration could have cropped up.