A Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist, who hails from Central Assam’s Hojai district, was arrested in Kanpur on Thursday.
Qamar-uz-Zaman, 37, a resident of Jamunamukh in Hojai district, is an active member of Hizbul Mujahideen and planned to carry out an attack on Ganesh Chaturt, police said.
“The terrorist has been identified as Qamar-uz-Zama, a resident of Assam, and is an active member of Hizbul Mujahideen,” a news agency quoted UP Director General of Police OP Singh as saying.
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He was arrested in Kanpur’s Chakeri area, Singh told reporters in Lucknow. The DGP said the arrested terrorist was planning an attack on Ganesh Chaturthi but did not elaborate, saying a probe is on.
The state’s Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS), which made the arrest, was tracking him for the past 8-10 days. It appeared from his mobile phone that he was carrying out a recce, police said,
“He was active on social media and had posted a picture of himself in April 2018 with an AK-47 weapon, after which he was under our radar,” the DGP said.
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That photo went viral on social media, police said. The arrest was made by the ATS with the help of the National Investigation Agency and the Kanpur police.
“The terrorist had undergone training in Pakistan in 2017 and had joined the Hizbul there. He also stayed abroad between 2008 and 2012,” Singh said.
Qamar-uz-Zama is educated with a sound knowledge of computers, but failed his BA third- year exam, Singh said.
He said the police are trying to trace his links and source of funding. They are also probing why he was staying in Kanpur.