Police Seek Custody of Five Accused in Terror- Linked Case

Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh police have sought police custody of the five accused in a terrorism-linked case, for detailed questioning and ascertaining the involvement of others, the source of funding, links to other terrorist outfits and information on sleeper cells.

The five were first accused Mohammad Rehmatullah Shariff, from Vijayawada; second accused Mohammed Danish, from Vijayawada; third-accused Mirza Sohail Baig from Vijayawada; fifth accused Sayeeda Begum from Hyderabad and eleventh accused Abdul Salaam from Bellary in Karnataka.

Vijayawada West Division Assistant Commissioner of police filed a petition in the chief judicial magistrate’s Court for their police custody.

The police said this was a case of unlawful and extremist activities that were aimed at causing a breach of internal security through social media radicalization. First-accused Mohammad Rehmatullah Sharif allegedly engaged in the “possession, storage and dissemination of radical and terrorism-related material through electronic devices and social media platforms.”

The gang’s activities were prejudicial to the sovereignty, internal security and integrity of the nation.

The petition explained the details of the search of the premises on March 22 and arrest of the accused persons from March 23 and their confessions about the crime as also the involvement of others in the offence.

The first three accused were granted judicial remand up to April 6, and A-5 and the eleventh accused was also granted the same up to April 6.

“Moreover, A-1, A-2, A-3 and A-11 are in the Central Prison in Rajamahendravaram while A-5 is in the special prison for women in Rajamahendravaram,” the court was told.