Police decide to cut red-tape, share terror evidence

Police chiefs of states under threat from the SIMI met in Mumbai on Monday and took the unprecedented step...

Police chiefs of states under threat from the SIMI met in Mumbai on Monday and took the unprecedented step of deciding to share intelligence on terror groups at the level of superintendents of police. Meanwhile, new evidence has emerged indicating that Shahbaz alias Shanu, picked up from Lucknow on Monday, along with Tauqeer and Sajjid Mansuri, conducted a reconnaissance in Jaipur a month before the May 13 blasts.

Government sources confirmed that at a five-hour meeting chaired by Maharashtra DGP Anami Roy, top police officials from Gujarat, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh decided on an “instant sharing of SIMI and other terror related information online” as there was a serious threat of a counter from the banned Ahle-Hadees group after the recent arrests in Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Jaipur.

Among those who attended the meeting were Commissioner (Intelligence) Mumbai D Sivanandan, DGP Rajasthan, Additional DGP Karnataka, IG (Octopus) Andhra and IG (Ops) Madhya Pradesh. It was decided that given the SIMI threat, the state police concerned should allow actionable intelligence to be passed to other states without going through red-tape.

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The red flag has gone up on SIMI as there is growing evidence, particularly in the interrogation report of Sajjid Mansuri, which changes the entire complexion of the Mumbai train blast investigation and the spread of the SIMI network in the commercial capital of India. It shows that SIMI cadres were not only motivated but also well-versed in making explosive devices and good with the latest communication technology.

Meanwhile, the arrest of Shahbaz has come as a big blow to SIMI. According to Kerala SIMI chief Shibly Peedical Abdul, the Lucknow software man was extremely close to Safdar Nagori and at one point in April 2007 (after the Castle Rock, Hubli camp) was even tipped to take over as SIMI president. Shahbaz has been referred to by both Mufti Abu Bashir and Sajjid Mansuri.

It is believed that the conspiracy to target Jaipur was hatched by the three at a camp near Ahmedabad in October 2007. Mansuri, during interrogation, told the police that Shahbaz and absconding explosive expert Ikrar were part of the Jaipur recce team. Shahbaz is being brought under transit warrant to Jaipur on Tuesday after the UP Police refused to hand him over until a proper case was filed in the Pink City.