Odisha police register case against Rahman under UAPA

Odisha Police today registered a case against suspected al-Qaeda terrorist Abdur Rahman who was arrested from Cuttak by Delhi Police on Wednesday.
"A case has been registered against Rahman at Jagatpur police station here under several sections of Unlawful Activities and Prevention Act," Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Commissioner of Police R P Sharma said.
Police have seized all bank accounts of the cleric, who is currently on a 12-day remand of Delhi police following his arrest from his residence in Cuttack.
Sharma said Rahman had links in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. He is said to have gone to Pakistan for training along with another operative, Mohammed Asif of Sambhal in Uttar Pradesh, in 2013.

Asif has already been arrested by Delhi Police.
Cuttack city Deputy Commissioner of Police Sanjib Arora said bank accounts operated by the suspected terrorist of al Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) for last ten years are being scrutinised.

He, however, refused to divulge details but said prima facie it appears that Rahman was engaged in unlawful activities.
Highly placed police officials said on condition of anonymity that three accounts of Rahman in banks located here have already been detected. One of the accounts verified so far has revealed that a large amount from a "doubtful source" in London was credited in his account recently.

Soon after his arrest on Wednesday, Rahman was taken to New Delhi the same day by Delhi police on transit remand. However, the Odisha police began investigations into his antecedents and booked him under UAPA after obtaining sanction from the Centre.
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During the investigation, it emerged that Rahman's
brother, Tahir Ali, who was arrested in 2002 in connection with the terrorist attack on the American Cultural Center in Kolkata, had taken shelter at his residence before his arrest.
However, these details need to be cross-checked with records of police department in Kolkata, the official said.
Rahman and his recruit, Hyderabadi, have so far emerged to be the only non-Sambhal elements involved in the AQIS module.

On Monday, Delhi Police received a tip-off from intelligence units and arrested Mohammad Asif from northeast Delhi's Seelampur area, followed by the arrests of Rahman in Odisha and Masood from mohalla Deepa Sarai in UP's Sambhal district.
While Asif is believed to be AQIS's India head for motivation, recruitment and training, anointed by AQIS chief (Amir) Maulana Asim Umar alias Sanaul Haq, who is also a resident of Sambhal, Rahman is an alleged recruiter. Masood had acted as a financier for the module, police said.
The accused have been booked under provisions of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
Masood, himself a former alleged Harkat-ul-Mujahideen operative, had allegedly given USD 500 in two instalments to Asif and his nephew Serjil, with which they -- along with another youth, Rehan, from northeast Delhi's Welcome area -- went to a training camp in Pakistan via Tehran in Iran and Afghanistan, police said.