Union Minister G Kishan Reddy highlights govt’s zero-tolerance policy on terrorism

Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], October 3 (ANI): Union minister G Kishan Reddy on Monday clarified the government’s stance on terrorism and said that the government has zero tolerance for it.
“Intelligence agencies of Indian govt identified different terrorist modules in Hyderabad and foiled them with the help of State police. Our government is working with zero tolerance in matters of terrorism,” said Reddy.
His statements came after Hyderabad City Police on Sunday arrested three people including Abdul Zahed who was involved in several terror-related cases in Hyderabad for allegedly being involved in clandestine activities and conspiring to hurl grenades on public gatherings.
As per the police, the intelligence units received specific information that Abdul Zahed along with his associates has received a consignment of four hand grenades and was going to carry out sensational terror attacks in Hyderabad, Telangana.
The intelligence team acted swiftly and apprehended three persons from Malakpet today.
The three arrested accused have been identified as Abdul Zahed, Mohammad Sameeuddin and Maaz Hasan Farooq, all three residents of Hyderabad.
As per the police, during the preliminary investigation, it was found out that Abdul Zahed was previously involved in several terror-related cases in Hyderabad including a suicide attack on the Hyderabad City Police Commissioner’s task force office, Begumpet in 2005.
He was also in regular touch with Pakistani ISI-LeT handlers.
Other than them, there are three absconding accused: Farhatullah Ghori alias FG, Siddique Bin Osman alias Rafique alias Abu Hamzala and Abdul Majeed alias Chotu.
They are wanted in several terror cases and are working under the aegis of ISI being settled in Pakistan, the police said.
In the past, they had recruited local youth and radicalised them to execute terror attacks such as a blast near Saibaba Temple in Dilsukhnagar in 2002, a bus blast at Ghatkopar, Mumbai, suicide attack on the Task Force office in Begumpet in 2005.
They had also attempted to cause blasts near Ganesh Temple, Secunderabad in 2004.
Abdul Zahed in his confession has revealed that Farhatulla Ghori, Abu Hamzala and Majeed have revived their contacts with him. They also motivated and financed Zahed to recruit and carry out terror attacks in Hyderabad again. At the behest of Pakistan-based handlers, Zahed recruited Samiuddin and Maaz Hasan.
During the search, four hand grenades were recovered from their possession which Zahed received from his Pak-based handlers. Five mobile phones, one motorcycle and cash worth more than Rs five lakh were also recovered by the police.
He was planning to hurl these hand grenades targeting public gatherings through his group members, thereby causing terror and communal tension in the city, the police said. (ANI)