Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (RJP)
With IANS Inputs

Bengaluru, Jan 8: A suspected member of the terrorist outfit al-Qaeda has been arrested by Delhi Police in Begaluru, sources said here early on Friday.

The alleged member of the terror group, identified as Maulana Anzar Shah Qasmi, was arrested on Wednesday night, Police sources said.

According to sources, he was plotting to carry out a series of terror strikes in the country. "The aim of the group was to attack some prominent leaders along with the crowded and tourist places."

He was arrested by the anti-terrorist Special Cell wing of Delhi Police in its ongoing operation against al-Qaeda in the Indian sub-continent (AQIS).

Qasmi who is a resident of Ilyas Nagar in the city was dismissed from a mosque in Jayanagar two years ago for making an inflammatory speech. He was again dismissed from a Banashankari mosque a year back, as per sources in the police department. But six months later he was readmitted to the mosque as a preacher after he gave in writing that he would only preach the Quran.

As per intelligence reports, Qasmi was operating under the code name ‘BITH’. The intelligence officers could only decode the first letter as ‘Bengaluru’ in the beginning. The state intelligence which tracked the code name to Qasmi kept him under observation for six months before arresting him on Wednesday. Qasmi is married and has two sons and a daughter. His wife has been informed about the arrest.

Qasmi is suspected to have had links with Abdul Rahman Qadgi who is lodged in a Delhi jail. It is alleged that Qasmi is a follower of Qadgi. Qadgi was arrested for his alleged links with ISI.

Nayaz, a community leader of Banashankari said that they had lodged police complaints about the inflammatory speeches of Qasmi in the past. Qasmi has toned down after that. He was also going outside the state for delivering sermons, he said.

The police laid a trap on Wednesday night and made Qasmi come by auto rickshaw to a secluded place a few meters away from his house and then arrested him, sources said.

Qasmi has been brought to Delhi on transit remand and would be produced at the Patiala House court here on Friday.

The Special Cell had in December last year arrested two AQIS operatives Zafar Masood and Abdul Rehman. Reportedly, Qasmi's name popped up during their interrogation.

Another terrorist in custody, Mohammed Asif, the recruitment and training head of AQIS, had also confessed to meeting Qasmi at a religious congregation in Bengaluru, sources said.

According to sources, Qasmi had reactivated himself to provide logistical support when contacted by the AQIS operatives.

The Special Cell also has the details of financial transaction between them and Qasmi, the source added.