The Delhi police’s special cell, investigating three men arrested on May 3 for terror links, have discovered that Sajid Ahmed, the alleged leader of the suspected Jaish-e-Mohammed terror module, used to chat with Rashid Awam, a Jaish terrorist allegedly involved in the Pathankot attack in January. “On investigation, we have found Facebook chats between Sajid and Rashid Awam, a JeM terrorist, who was involved in the conspiracy of the Pathankot attack. It was Rashid who had introduced Sajid to JeM chief Masood Azhar’s brother Talha Azhar,” a source revealed.
Awam is an associate of one Qasib Jan, suspected to be one of the handlers in the Pathankot terror attack.
Sajid Ahmed had opened his Facebook account two years ago with JeM chief Masood Azhar’s photograph as his display picture. “Sajid befriended Rashid Awam, who according to sources is a JeM terrorist and was involved in the conspiracy of the Pathankot attack this year. Rashid is close to Masood Azhar,” the source added.
Sajid Ahmed befriended Awam on Facebook. After accepting his friend request, Awam questioned Sajid and asked him why he had used Masood Azhar’s picture. Sajid Ahmed had replied that Masood Azhar was his idol and he wanted to meet him. Both the men started interacting on Facebook thereafter. Rashid Awam used to radicalise Sajid Ahmed by sending him jihadi material,” said the source.
Later, Awam gave Sajid Ahmed the contact number of Amir-a-Jaan and said that he would get him in touch with Masood Azhar. Sajid Ahmed started talking to Amir regularly over phone and after a while Amir revealed his identity as Masood Azhar’s brother Talha, the source said.
Talha then asked Sajid Ahmed to come immediately to Pakistan and meet him for which Sajid tried to get a passport, said the source. The police also found that Pathankot attack handler Qasib Jan in Rashid Awam’s Facebook account and the link is being investigated.
The Delhi police’s special cell had picked up 13 youth from Delhi and Uttar Pradesh after a series of late-night raids on May 3, following which Sajid Ahmed, Sameer Ahmed, and Shakir Ansari were arrested and the remaining 10 detained for questioning. Four of these detainees were released on Saturday due to lack of evidence against them and six remaining were released on Sunday.
