Key Accused in Talibanic attack held

Attack on Prof: Key accused held

VR Jayaraj | Kochi
– Daily Pioneer

Image Courtesy-Janmabhumi

Achieving a breakthrough in the probe into the July 4 attack on a college professor in Muvattupuzha in Ernakulam district, the Kerala Police on Wednesday arrested key accused and chief conspirator Yunus (35), a leader of Islamist Popular Front of India (formerly NDF). Yunus is said to have played vital roles in all aspects of the Taliban-model attack on Prof TJ Joseph, in which his right hand was cut off for blaspheming Prophet Muhammad.

Yunus, son of Ali of Veliyalunkal, Nellimattam, Kothamangalam, was arrested by the investigation team headed by PN Unnirajan, Superintendent of Police, Crime Branch, at Palakkad while he was returning from Nagoor in Tamil Nadu. He had gone into hiding immediately after the attack.

With Yunus falling into the police net, the number of accused to be arrested went up to nine. It is said that the arrest of Yunus is of crucial importance as he is the only one who knew all those who had participated in the attack. The police had issued lookout notice for Yunus along with two of his collaborators, KK Ali and Nasser.

The police named Yunus as the fourth accused in the case in which there were a total of 16 accused. According to the police, he had played a crucial role in the conspiracy behind the attack on Joseph. He was also accused of organizing the people for perpetrating the criminal act and of helping the culprits escape.

The arrested accused was the president of the Nellimattam unit of the Popular Front and member of the outfit’s Ernakulam district committee. He was also the secretary of the organizing committee and chief of the volunteer wing for the Freedom Parade the Popular Front was scheduled to hold in the district on the Independence Day.

Sources in the police said Yunus had come back to Kerala from Nagoor perhaps with a plan to surrender in the court in the context of the police’s preparation to confiscate his property and freeze his bank accounts. However, the police team probing the case had reportedly got clear instructions not to let the accused surrender, which if occurred, could have serious political consequences.

At the same time, Popular Front activist Ayub, presently in hiding, was charged with economic offences on the basis of the property documents and account details confiscated from his house and the jewelry showrooms he was running in Aluva and Perumbavoor. Earlier, the police had recovered a gun from his house. The police and Sales Tax officials had held searches on his jewelry showrooms the other day.

Responses