Shankerdeo Jha from Darbhanga/Madhubani
Letters painted deep and bold have either now fainted away on the walls of this part of Darbhanga or the rest were coated freshly to cover-up those big and bold advertisements of one Unani practitioner Doctor Saheb (Doctor Imran) claiming treatments of incurable cancer to bringing masculinity back.
This is the story of Urdu Bazar, Bhigo, Syednagar, Karamganj, Abhanda and many other localities of Darbhanga Talk in whispe that India’s most wanted and co-founder of terrorist organisation; Indian Mujahideen (IM) had not only lived here for many years as ‘doctor’ but even had married a local girl. Security agencies have identified the man as Yasin Bhatkal: India’s most wanted terror machine and mastermind behind at least 11 terror attacks across the country killing at least 446 civilians and maiming uncountable numbers. Mithilanchal has leaped into national infamy again with lead dateline in the papers for days now, persistently flashing on television. Police, IB, National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the media have been running daily circles round it secretly and openly. In second week of September, NIA team brought Bhatkal back to Darbhanga and interrogated at least a dozen who knowingly or unknowingly provided shelter to this man in his mission to spread poisons among Muslim youths here in Mithilanchal.
Mithilanchal covering a vast cultural and linguistic swathe of northern Bihar, rich with culture has turned into gazetted hotbed and terror factory of Islamic terrorism over the years. In one sense, it has outmatched Azamgarh of Uttar Pradesh leaving the nation and security agencies aghast as 12 out of 16 top IM catches made in the last six years were from Darbhanga and Madhubani.
The arrest of Yasin Bhatkal and his associate Asadullah Akhtar from Motihari-Nepal border in August is a warning in advance that the peace loving Mithilanchal is in the confirming grips of agents of hatred controlled by their ISI bosses in Pakistan which is flourishing with local and political support.
One senior Intelligence Bureau official told Organiser; Bhatkal had not only developed sleeper cells in Mithilanchal but had recruited a good number of local youths to perpetrate terrorist attack. “A stranger coming and staying here for a long and gets married to a local Muslim girl. It is not possible without local support. We don’t believe that those sheltered him were innocent lambs. We know what is happening here and who is doing what. We are a looking for a lady who always accompanied Bhatkal in Darbhanga. His interrogations have revealed many things about his Mithilanchal connection,” a senior intelligence official said. The official had an exhaustive list of arrests made in these two districts; all IM operatives close to Bhatkal with direct and indirect links with one or more terror attacks in the country.
After 2006 Bhatkal started developing his contacts in Darbhanga. He introduced himself as business network developer and influenced the youths to join him. He stayed for a good time in Muslim dominated area, Syednagar in Laheriasarai under assumed names. He stayed in different parts of Darbhanga like Mabbi, Chakjohra, Maheshpatti and Bhigo, Urdu Bazar and others under assumed names and developed sleeper cells and active terror modules in Madhubani and Samastipur.
In fact, Bhatkal these years had indoctrinated one Tehseen Akhtar Monu of Maniyarpur village in Samastipur district whom NIA sources said
IM’s second-in-command of Mithilanchal zone. An accused in February 2013 Hyderabad blasts case Monu, is evading arrest while the NIA has announced cash reward of Rs 10 lakh for his arrest. To IB he is learnt to have said that Monu and another Pakistani terrorist Wakas have already moved in the parts of the country to execute major terrorist attacks and bomb blasts ahead 2014 general elections.
In 2009, Bhatkal was arrested by Kolkata Police in a theft case but he managed to hoodwink police his real identity. He identified himself as Bulla Mullick aka Md. Asraf a resident of Darbhanga. He came out of bail and never returned. Later on, after his image was grabbed by CCTV camera during German Bakery blast in Pune, security agencies realised how such a big catch easily slipped out of their hand.
This time too, he tried to fool security agencies. He claimed himself as an engineer and insisted that he can’t be caught on wrong identity. Since he knows many languages he could manage to fool people and police. But he finally broke down when an angry police officer accompanying arresting team delivered punch on his nose.
Bhatkal came in touch with Omar Madani, a LeT operative from Madhubani. He continued to meet Madani at his residence at Mahua in Nepal. Madani had shifted base to Nepal before his arrest in August 2009 from Delhi.
But Bhatkal’s Mithilanchal network became glaring in the year 2012 after arrest of Danish Ansari (20), a suspected IM operative and Bhatkal’s close aide from Chakjohra mohalla in Darbhanga by NIA. Danish gave shelter to Bhatkal during his stay at Darbhanga. Danish revealed the name of Tehseen Akhtar Monu of Maniyarpur village in Samastipur district
One more arrest confirmed Mithilanchal turning into Bhatkal’s project field. The security agencies arrested a bicycle mechanic, Kafeel Siddique from Jamalchak in Darbhanga as the pinion of fake currency racket being run by Bhatkal. But investigation revealed that the former had not only joined Bhatkal Company; he gave his daughter to Bhtakal even knowing the man is India’s most wanted. Investigative agencies are still wondering as to how many marriages Bhatkal had in Darbhanga, Madhubani and Samastipur. “He had married the daughter of one Md Irshad Khan from Samastipur as well. Khan later on shifted his base in Chennai where he was arrested by police two year back for his alleged link with Bhatkal.
A senior intelligence official who worked over the years to detect Bhatkal’s Mithilanchal connection revealed how Siddique came in touch with Bhatkal. In 2008 the Mumbai police raided the native village of Bhatkal in Karnataka in search of four IM leaders namely Yasin his brother Riyaz Bhatkal, Iqubal and Mohshin Choudhary in 2006 Mumbai local train bomb blast case. All of them fled from Karnataka. They took shelter in Delhi at the residence of Ghayur Ahmed Jamali from Madhubani in Bihar. Siddique who often visited Gauhar in Delhi came in touch with Yasin. Jamali, a poor man’s son was so inspired that he was easily lured by Bhatkal to join his terror module. Jamali was arrested from Madhubani by Delhi police in Jama Mosque bomb blast case.
Jamil’s arrest helped intelligence agencies to understand clandestine network here. That time the Intelligence Bureau had sent a detailed dossier expressing grave concern over Islamic militant groups recruiting local youths.
Madhubani and Darbhanga, with proximity to the porous Indo-Nepal border, have turned out to be a safe haven for terrorists. With huge petro dollar pumped here from Arab countries, in not less than a decade; thousands of madarsas cropped in these two districts.
“When such activities start taking place, when youths of the area remain missing from their locality without any valid and accurate information about their occupations and whereabouts…it is an indication something wrong is happening here. Mithilanchal has become a case history. Security agencies don’t pick anybody randomly,” a retired intelligence official observed.
(To be concluded)
Leave a Comment