Odisha: Al Qaeda supporters demand donations

Bhubaneswar: A day after the Special Task Force (STF) of Odisha Crime Branch filed the chargesheet against suspected Al Qaida in Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) operative Abdur Rehman, a man on Thursday filed a police complaints alleging that relatives of Rehman were forcibly collecting money from the residents of Sainpada to fight a legal battle to secure his release.

According to reports, Shaikh Tahimir Ali, a resident of Saipada village under Jagatpur police limits, lodged a complaint in Salipur station alleging that family members and supporters of the suspected AQIS operative were asking for “exorbitant donations” to pay for the legal fees of lawyers in Delhi.

“Some supporters of Abdur Rehman recently held a clandestine meeting in our Sainpada village where they decided to collect donations from the villagers to fight the case for Rehman in the court. They asked me to donate Rs 50,000. When I expressed my inability to pay such a huge sum, as many as five of Rehman’s supporters stormed into house and threatened to harm me and my sons if I do not comply with their demand,” Ali said in his complaint.

While admitting that an FIR was lodged, Salipur sub-divisional police officer P.K. Jena said investigation had already begun into the case. It may be mentioned here that on Wednesday, the Crime Branch of Odisha police had filed chargesheet against Abdur Rehman at the Salipur JMFC court. The agency accused the AQIS operative of treason, conspiracy, unlawful activities, training and financing terror activities among others. The 38-year-old Rehman was arrested by the Delhi police from his Jagatpur house on December 16, 2015 on charges of radicalising youth for terror activities.

Later, he was booked under provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

Rehman, who ran a madrasa at Tangi area near Cuttack, allegedly had links with a man involved in a failed car bomb attack at the Glasgow international airport in 2007, Odisha police had alleged.