Indian Mujahideen - Jamia Nagar Encounter

Jamia Nagar Encounter

On 19 September 2008, the police raided an apartment In Jamia Nagar, near Jamia Millia Islamia In Delhi. There is speculation that the prime suspect in the Ahmedabad blasts, Mufti Abu Bashir, a madrasa teacher from Azamgarh, may have pointed out the apartment.

The raid resulted in the death of terrorists Bashir alias Mohammed Atif Amin (son of Mohammed Amin, cloth merchant in Bhiwandi, Mumbai), Mohammad Sajid and a decorated police officer Mohan Chand Sharma In the gunfight. Mohammad Saif (the son of Samajwadi Party leader Shadab Ahmed) was arrested while two hostiles managed to flee by possibly jumping the rooftops. All of the suspects were from Azamgarh district’S Sarai Mir town. They claimed to Be students, but that was denied by Jamia Millia

The five were responsible for manufacturing bombs used in Ahmedabad, Jaipur and Delhi blasts.

Atif claimed to have been studying for a diploma in Human Resources Development from Jamia Milia Islamia University. However Jamia Milia denied having him As a student. Some residents of Sarai Mir thought He was pursuing his bachelors In technology from Jamia Hamdard.

Atif was said to have been the leader of a group of 14 young men belong to Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh, all claiming to have been studying in Delhi: Atif (24), Sajid alias Pankaj (19), (both now dead), Shehzad alias Pappu (22), Junaid (27), Shahdab Bhai alias Mallick (27), Sajid (24), Mohammad Khalid (25), Arif (22), Shakil (26), Zia Khan (24) and Salman (25), Zeeshan (24) and Mohammad Saif (23).

Zeeshan Jawed was arrested from the offices of a private TV station, He worked for a private company, Monarch International on Vikas Marg, and is also said to Be studying management. Both him and Saif claim to have been recruited by Atif.

It is reported that Mohammad Saif has said that the plans to carry out several blasts across the country were mooted about three years ago when the Indian Mujahideen (IM) was formed. Although the blasts spanned over a period of 10 months (the first blasts took place in August 2007 in Hyderabad), the planning was made far back in 2005. After that series of explosions occurred Uttar Pradesh, Jaipur, Ahmedabad and Delhi.

There is considerable resentment In Sarai Mir over the death of the local boys. Villagers have blamed the media for giving a bad name to Azamgarh by calling it a "nursery of terror". Mafia don Abu Salem hails from here. Azamgarh used to export its famous country-made pistols, known as kattas, whose factories dot the region. The district was also known for young sharpshooters who joined Mumbai gangs. Individuals from the area have been accused of the murders of Bollywood producer Gulshan Kumar in Mumbai and Left leader Shankar Guha Niyogi in Chhattisgarh.