Mumbra Teacher Questioned by ATS in Terror Probe
“At present, Abidi has not been named as an accused or a witness in the case,” an ATS officer clarified
Mumbai: The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on Wednesday questioned a Mumbra-based Urdu teacher, Ibrahim Abidi, in connection with alleged terror links. The agency also conducted a search at his residence in Thane. Abidi was questioned after Pune-based software engineer Zubair Hangargekar, arrested last month for alleged links with Al-Qaeda and other banned organisations, was found to have visited Abidi’s home.
According to officials, the ATS visited Abidi’s residence on Tuesday and he was called for questioning to know details of his interactions with Hangargekar. Abidi was allowed to leave after questioning. “At present, Abidi has not been named as an accused or a witness in the case,” an ATS officer clarified.
Hangargekar (37) was arrested from Pune on October 27. Investigators found a Pakistani contact number on his old phone and, during further probing, discovered that he had visited Abidi’s residence for a meeting.
Abidi’s wife, Mahjabin Tabassum, said, “We have no links to any group but have been harassed since yesterday. I have filed a complaint with the local police.”
The ATS has registered a case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and launched a wider investigation into Hangargekar’s contacts and digital communications to trace possible links with Al-Qaeda operatives. Hangargekar, who worked as a database developer at a Pune IT firm, remains in custody.
Earlier this month, the ATS told a Pune court that Hangargekar had reportedly delivered “aggressive” religious discourses in Pune’s Kondhwa area. During a search of his house there, officials seized mobile phones containing deleted PDF files titled Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) and All Its Manifestations.
The agency also claimed to have recovered an Urdu translation of an Eid-ul-Fitr speech by the late Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, a magazine titled Inspire featuring photographs of AK-47 training at the OSG Gun School, and documents detailing procedures to make an improvised explosive device (IED) using acetone peroxide.
