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20 suspects charged under MCOCA

Mumbai: The 15 terror suspects recently arrested by the Mumbai police and the five previously held have been charged under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crimes Act (MCOCA). The custody of the five suspects expired on Tuesday. All the 20 have been remanded to police custody till October 21. A key suspect Riaz Bhatkal is still absconding.

Additional Commissioner of Police Deven Bharti said interrogation of one of the arrested Mohammad Saddik revealed some important leads. Throwing light on the process of indoctrination, he said compact discs seized from the suspects contained incidents such as Babri Masjid, Godhra and many more — even some that did not take place in reality — and those from Palestine and Iraq,.

The suspects, the police official said, had no remorse about their alleged terror acts and they believed in the larger cause of “jihad”.

The ACP said Tauqeer (who was yet to be traced), along with Abu Bashir, had lectured in Azamgadh and was instrumental in indoctrinating youths. The links of these suspects with Pakistan were being probed.

Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Rakesh Maria said on Monday that Amir Raza, believed to be in Pakistan, was the head of the Indian Mujahideen. He controlled Saddik and Bhatkal, who in turn controlled the rest of “the foot soldiers.”

The ACP said Raza had links with the Lashkar-e-Taiba and the Inter-Services Intelligence of Pakistan. Therefore, the 20 suspects could also be linked to these organisations.

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