Following the Mumbai attacks, UP’s Anti-Terrorist Squad moved an application before the Rampur session court requesting permission to collect a certified copy of documents submitted in the Fahim Ansari case.
In February this year, Fahim Ansari alias Abu Zarar, who was arrested by the UP’s Special Task Force after an attack on the CRPF camp at Rampur in Uttar Pradesh on December 31, 2007, had allegedly told the police that Lashkar-e-Toiba planned to execute terror operations in Mumbai. But no one took Fahim’s disclosures seriously. The application was moved by government counsel Sarvat Ali on behalf of ATS on November 30. The court allowed unsealing of the documents and copies were given to the ATS.
“In the application, we have informed the court that these papers are of use for the state. Hence, we be allowed to collect the documents,” Ali said. “We have also sought permission from the court to allow us to collect a certified photostat copy of documents which were sealed. The said documents include Fahim’s passport, identity cards, hand-made maps and two letters written in English.”
The police had seized nine hand-drawn maps from Fahim which he said he had made in Mumbai following LeT instructions to identify targets for attacks. These maps are now part of a sealed evidence deposited in a Rampur court where Fahim is facing charges under the Arms Act, the Explosives Act, and those of forgery and criminal conspiracy. The trial is yet to begin and Fahim is lodged in Bareilly jail.
A resident of Goregaon, Fahim was arrested from the Rampur bus stand on February 10. A pistol, three hand grenades, a driving licence from Mumbai that turned out fake, a Pakistani passport, and some other papers in Urdu were also found on him.
Police claimed he had come from Mumbai to arrange for safe evacuation of the terrorists involved in the attack on the CRPF camp in which seven CRPF men and one civilian were killed. Sources said he was arrested on a tip-off from a Central intelligence agency.
Fahim’s interrogation led to the arrest of three men from Lucknow: Sabauddin of Bihar, Amar Singh alias Abu Zar of Gujranwala in Pakistan and Abu Sama of Bhimber in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, who had allegedly carried out the attack on the CRPF camp.
According to an officer, Fahim had disclosed that the LeT planned to send Fidayeen to Mumbai for carrying out terror operations and that he had been tasked by his bosses to conduct a recce of possible targets and make arrangements for logistical support.
“As far as I recall, he had named three places as the targets of LeT: Bombay Stock Exchange, Police Commissioner’s Office and Gateway of India,” the officer said.
Another officer said Fahim had named many places, including the CST railway station, Capital cinema, Taj Hotel and US Consulate.
“Fahim had then named Muzamil as his Pakistan-based LeT commander. Muzamil has also been named by Ajmal Amir Kasab, who was arrested in Mumbai,” pointed out a UP police officer.
Fahim was recruited by LeT when he went to Dubai as a worker in October 2005. In November 2006, he was taken to Pakistan where he was trained by LeT. On December 10, 2007, he returned to India via Nepal.
Fahim was given Rs 50,000 to pay as advance deposit for getting a room in the house of one Shanta Bai Kishan Bhosle in Mumbai’s Batawali Chawl, Grant Road.
He also took admission to a computer centre near the BSE under an assumed name, Sahil Paskar. The UP Police also verified that he had stayed in a room of Sunlight Guest House in Mumbai’s Grant Road in December last year.
The Mumbai Police had also questioned Fahim, but it did not lodge any case against him. Interestingly, the UP Police have also not booked Fahim in the case of the CRPF camp attack. Their explanation is that Fahim had not participated in the actual attack.
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