Habibur's father supports punishment for son if found guilty

The father of Habibur Rahaman, the alleged handler of a hardened LeT terrorist, today said his son should be punished if he is found to be involved in any terror activities.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had arrested Rahaman, the alleged handler of Shaikh Abdul Naeem, after he was deported from Saudi Arabia, officials had said in Delhi yesterday.

Mir Aainuddin, a native of Mirmahala hamlet in Tendakuda gram panchayat of Kendrapara district, said the family had not been in touch with Rahaman from 12 years as he was disowned for marrying outside his religion.

"It's a deep shock for me that my son is linked with subversive elements. He has given us and our village a bad name. He deserves punishment for it," the father added.

"I'm an Indian. I live in my village in Odisha. My son should be punished if he is involved in any terror plan. I can also be punished if I have ever helped him in anti-national activites," Aainuddin told reporters at his village.

"I had no inkling that he got associated with a terror outfit," he said.

The 80-year-old said neither he nor his family members had been in touch with Rahaman from the past 12 years.

"He (Habibur) had visited our village during my younger son's wedding in 2006. Since then he has not come to my house. He stays in Mumbai and later shifted to Riyadh in Saudi Arabia for better income," Aainuddin said.

The octogenarian said he met Rahaman when he went on pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia in 2006. "I was working in Tata and had six daughters. For the weddings of my daughters, I sold some of my landed properties. Habibur had never helped me," he sad.

Rahaman was a welding mechanic and he left for Mumbai in 1988 when he was 24-years-old. He settled there and had two wives and later moved to Saudi Arabia, he said.

"He (Rahaman) never came back again to the village as we had disowned him after for his second marriage which was inter-religion. Since then all ties with him were severed," the father said.

The terrorist handler's younger brother Ataur Rahaman said. "We have no objection if he is punished for any anti-national activities. If he is not guilty leave him.