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In what can be called as one of the biggest catches for the Hyderabad police, Viqarruddin Ahmed has been finaly netted.
Also Read: Hyderabad police captures elusive Viqaruddin
Viqar, who as per the dossiers of the Hyderabad police, is a member of the Harkat-ul-Jihadi. His name has been cropping up several times, but the last time that the police stepped up the manhunt was after an incident in which one constable was shot dead recently.
Viqar's journey into HuJI has been a long one, according to the Hyderabad police. He started off as a small-time goon before he joined an outfit called Darsgah Jihad-O-Shahadat, which is defunct in Hyderabad.
Residing at the Old Malakapet area of Hyderabad, the 28-year-old operative worked with the DJS for two years before working for the SIMI. It was during this time that he came in contact with Shahid Bilal, the man who was killed in an encounter at Pakistan.
His name first cropped up following the blasts at the Mecca Masjid. At that point of time, the police were looking for a HuJi link in that blast. The Hyderabad police had termed him guilty of that blast since he went missing immediately after that. However the residents of the Old Malakapet area say that it was the fear of the police that made him run away since they were always looking to fix him.
Viqar is then alleged to have got in touch with Bilal who was in Bangladesh and there it was decided that they would carry out the twin blasts at Hyderabad since they have to retaliate the blasts at Mecca Masjid.
Soon after this, he returned to Hyderabad and was immediately summoned by the police. At that point of time, the police did not have much evidence against him and had to eventually let him off.
Immediately after this the twin blasts at the Lumbini Park and Gokul Chats, Viqar's name cropped up yet again. With the help of intercepts, they managed to track down his meetings with Bilal and he was one of the primary suspects in that case.
With his arrest, the Hyderabad police will be able to ascertain his exact role in the twin blasts case
Viqar decided to take the plunge into terrorism only after the Mecca Masjid blasts case. People of Hyderabad say that many youth had gone completely astray after the manner in which the Mecca Masjid case was handled and Viqar too was one among them.
He had managed to cross the border with the help of his friend Bilal and had undergone training over there.
Viqar, according to the police, had been rallying several youth in the Old City area to carry out more terror operations in Hyderabad. Investigations that were conducted into a recent haul at Puttaparthi in Andhra Pradesh led to this man thus giving an indication that he was planning on blowing up several Hindu shrines in the state.
The Hyderabad police say that he is no ordinary catch.
"His arrest will lead us to several of his men in the city and we will be able to wind up a big network. This man is a specialist with computers and is a master of disguises. Most of the time, he used to wander the city in the guise of an Arab Sheikh," they said.
He preferred staying in Hyderabad since he was able to rally youth better and moreover his specific brief was to take care of operations in this city. His role became even larger following the death of Bilal. However, when the heat was raised on him, he took shelter very often in Mumbai and Dubai.
Over the years, Viqar had become a master in recruitments too. He picked up the trait from Bilal and had become extremely convincing with the youth who followed him. He used inflammatory material to further his cause, the police say.