Jehadi Terrorist Fahad used Malayalee roots to get visa

Mohammed Fahad, one of the suspected Al-Badr terrorists arrested in Mysore along with his associate, Mohammad Ali Hussain alias Qassim, had come to India on a 45 day visa on the pretext of visiting his Malayalee grandparents.

Fahad’s father, Abdullakoya was from Kappad near Kozhizode and had reportedly migrated to Pakistan in the early ’70s. Fahad was born in Karachi. 

The militant had come to Kappad in February 2006 on a 45-day visa and had overstayed despite his visa expiring. Abdullakoya’s first wife still lives in Kappad.

The Karnataka Police conveyed the information about Fahad’s Kerala links to Kozhikode District Collector A Jayathilak and their police team is expected to arrive in Kozhikode soon.

The police of both States are jointly probing Fahad’s background given the fact that an e-mail threatening the lives of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President APJ Kalam surfaced from a cybercafé in Kochi on the same day.

“After joining the militant ranks, Fahad was used by the ISI for its operations of targeting important installations in the Indian hinterland, especially in the southern part of the country,” said official sources.

Fahad, who has a fair knowledge of Malayalam, had got his visa stamped for Karanataka and Kolkata and had arrived at the Mumbai international airport in February this year. He came into the net of security agencies after he was spotted at Lal Chowk in Srinagar, after which surveillance was tightened on him.

His role in militant activities was further substantiated by Al-Badr member Samir Ahmed Bhat, who was arrested in Pulwama district and to whom Fahad had handed over Rs three lakh. During his stay in the country, Fahad had applied for an Indian passport, ration card and other documents to back his claim of being an Indian.

Mohammed Ali Hussain alias Qassim, the other militant nabbed with Fahad, had come into India through Leepa Valley in north Kashmir and had been staying in the Nishat area of Kashmir before moving to Mysore, the sources said. He is wanted by the Jammu and Kashmir Police in connection with several cases.

Fahad and Mohammad Ali Hussain were planning to attack Bangalore, the country’s IT hub, and an imposing building housing the state secretariat and legislature there. Aged around 24, both were travelling on a two-wheeler. Two constables were injured in the gun battle between terrorists and police.

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