How a 25-year-old Bihari native impressed his bosses in the dreaded Lashkar-e-Tayiba.
The chilling tale of how a reasonably bright college student descended into the dark world of jihadi terrorism.
Hailing the conviction of Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab for the Mumbai terror attacks, Special Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam on Monday said the acquittal of two other accused in the case will be challenged in a higher court. "I am very happy (about the conviction of Kasab). But I regret the acquittal of two other accused Faheem Ansari and Sabauddin Ahmed. The court has given them the benefit of doubt. We will challenge their acquittal," Nikam said.
Kayani along with other ISI officials supervised my training programme in Pakistan. Kayani even gave me Rs 25,000 before I left Pakistan. He had sent his man along with me to the airport and ensured that I got out safe from Pakistan," Sabahuddin further revealed.
Ejaz Naqvi, advocate for Sabahuddin Ahmed, who was acquitted by the special court in the 26/11 attack case, is an elated man. "I always said that my client was not involved and the court has upheld whatever I have said. I am happy that my client has been acquitted. I believed that he is innocent and being framed in the case."
Sabahuddin Ahmed, who had been charged with providing maps of 26/11 terror targets to terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Tayiba, on Wednesday told the trial court in Mumbai that he was being falsely implicated in the case by the Mumbai police. "I have nothing to do with 26/11 terror attacks," Sabahuddin said.According to a witness, Ansari had given maps of likely targets of the Mumbai terror attack to Sabahuddin in Nepal for forwarding them to the LeT.
Fahim Ansari and Mohammad Sabahuddin Ahmed might have been let off by the Mumbai special court in the 26/11 terrorist attacks case on India's commercial capital, but they were clearly not off the hook in Uttar Pradesh, where cops were all set to nail them in an earlier attack on a Central Reserve Police Force camp in Rampur city, about 300 km from Lucknow.
Pakistan's latest claim -- about the Bangladesh-based Harkat-ul-Jihadi planning the terror attacks in Mumbai -- may have a boomerang effect. Sabahuddin Ahmed has revealed that the HuJI carries out its operations with the patronage of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Tayiba. In his confessional statement, Sabahuddin clearly states that Lashkar operatives use the porous Bangladesh border whenever they are fleeing.
Intelligence Bureau officials said barring Fahim Ansari and Sabahuddin Ahmed, they have not found a direct local link to the Mumbai terror attacks. IB sources added that although not directly involved, there are several people who had information about the attacks.
More proof of the Pakistan establishment being involved in the terror framework is coming to light. The Mumbai 26/11 attacks brought out for the very first time how much the Pakistan establishment participated in terror based operations in other countries.
The sensational acquittal of 26/11 Mumbai terror accused Fahim Ansari and Sabahuddin Ahmed have raised many eyebrows. But for Fahim's family, the decision has simply reinforced their belief that he was innocent. Rediff.com's Krishnakumar P visits Fahim's house in Mumbai, and brings forth their reactions.
Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam handed over a sealed envelope to Judge M L Tahiliani during the ongoing trial into the Mumbai terror attacks. He sought the judge's permission to keep the identities of six FBI agents, who are likely to depose during the trial, a secret.
The 26/11 trial is expected to take an interesting turn with the counsel for Fahim Ansari contemplating the inclusion of Pakistan army chief General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani's name as the main conspirator.
Inspired by the Al Qaeda's women fidayeens, the Lashkar-e-Tayiba is also training a group of female cadres in a camp in Pakistan, to carry out terror strikes in Bangalore, Delhi and Kolkata. A group of five women, trained by the LeT, will conduct a reconnaissance of Indian cities and gather information to carry out the strike.The women recruited by the LeT are in the age group of 19 and 23 years.
Code language is crucial for a terrorist operation's success. Investigations have revealed that the 26/11 killers communicated with each other using coded language.
The Mumbai police's crime branch says that Imran Shehzad also helped Fahim Ansari and Sabahuddin Ahmed conduct a survey of likely targets in Mumbai.
A special court conducting the 26/11 Mumbai attacks trial on Tuesday rejected a plea by one of the two Indian accused for examining film-maker Mahesh Bhatt's son Rahul and three others as defence witnesses.
The mammoth chargesheet has been filed and the Mumbai police can proceed and try three people with immediate effect -- Ajmal Kasab, Fahim Ansari and Sabahuddin Ahmed. However, what would happen to the likes of Yusuf Muzzamil and Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhwi who find a mention in the chargesheet as the key conspirators? The satellite phone transcripts and various confessional statements prove their role in the case.
Lashkar operatives have disclosed to interrogators that Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence arranged their fake passports. IB officials have listed the guidelines that terrorists follow while dealing with passports, record books and identification cards.
An investigating officer told rediff.com that Lashkar-e-Tayiba terrorists Sabahuddin and Fahim Ansari -- whose names are likely to figure in the 26/11 attack chargesheet -- confessed before interrogators in Mumbai that the Rampur attack was aimed at distracting security agencies to enable the smuggling of arms into Mumbai for the big attack.
The chargesheet will have murder, waging war against the State and conspiracy as the main charges.
Before the weapons could be retrieved, investigators say Shehzad was arrested. As a result, the attack on the Bombay Stock Exchange was averted, but the Mumbai attacks were moved from September to November.
Intelligence agencies believe Jundal -- it is not known if that is his original name -- hails from Hyderabad and has played a key role in training Lashkar-e-Tayiba terrorists.
A sessions court in Mumbai has issued warrants against Faheem Ansari and Sabauddin Ahmed asking the Uttar Pradesh police to produce the duo on September 23, as the Bombay high court has admitted state's appeal against their acquittal in the 26/11 terror attack case.
The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear the plea of Maharashtra government against the acquittal of two accused in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack. A bench headed by Justice Aftab Alam, however, made it clear to the state government that it is a weak case.
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India is not entirely satisfied with Islamabad's version of the case, says Vicky Nanjappa
Criminal jurisprudence is based on an interesting saying, "It is better that ten guilty persons escape than one innocent suffer." However, that does not seem to apply to the Maharashtra Anti Terrorist Squad. There are several instances to show that the agency has botched up its investigation, the latest being Pune Bakery blast main accused Himayat Baig.
Although Headley has confessed to the FBI that he had conducted a recce of the targets in Mumbai, this is will not be enough to nail him in India. Only if Headley confesses the same details to Indian agencies can the confessions be used in the 26/11 case in India, said investigators
Leaders of terror groups thrive on communal disturbances to foster anger and resentment against the majority community among brainwashed youth of the affected community, insiders in security agencies tell Vicky Nanjappa
How old was Ajmal Kasab when he was recruited into the Lashkar-e-Tayiba to carry out the 26/11 attacks? Going by an interrogation report prepared by the Bangalore Police, Kasab was 16 when he was roped into the LeT.
Saroj Kumar Rath, author of the newly-published book Fragile Frontiers: The Secret History of Mumbai Terror Attacks, speaks to Rediff.com's Vicky Nanjappa.
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