Guwahati: The Assam Police on Thursday arrested a person allegedly linked with Al-Qaeda Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) and Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) in Assam’s Goalpara district.
The man, identified as Abdus Chowahan, was arrested in the Jogighopa area of Goalpara district. He is said to have links with two Islamic clerics — Abdus Sobahan, a cleric of Tinkonia Shantipur Masjid under Mornoi police station and Jalaluddin, a cleric of Tilapara Masjid under Matia police station. Both were arrested on August 22 in Assam’s Goalpara District.
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Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had recently said that Assam has become a hotbed of jihadi activities. Five modules having links with Bangladesh’s Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) were busted in the last five months.
“It is strange that his neighbour didn’t know him but only after we got information about him from West Bengal did we initiate a search operation in his house here and were able to retrieve documents that are used for running these modules,” Assam DGP Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta said.
The police have arrested over 40 people so far since March this year and a strict vigil is being maintained, particularly in the minority-dominated areas of lower and central Assam, its officials said.
“We have made a few SoPs for clerics coming from other states to practise religious rituals and teachings in any place of Assam. The resident has to first verify the cleric’s antecedents from the local police station and then a government portal will be set up for registration,” the CM had stated.
The interrogation will be held in Tilapara of Dhubri District and various Char areas of Assam having borders with West Bengal.
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