Tag Archives: Aijaz Ahmed Mirza

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DRDO to take action against terror suspect researcher

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Deccan Herald

New Delhi, Aug 31, 2012, (IANS) :

Taken by surprise over the arrest of one of its researchers in Karnataka for links with Pakistan-based terror outfits, India’s defence research agency Friday announced that it was initiating disciplinary action against him under government rules.

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) spokesperson Ravi Gupta said the youth, identified as Aijaz Ahmed Mirza, was only a junior researcher, which is a temporary position.

Mirza was not an employee, Gupta clarified.

“This has reference to reports in certain sections of media reporting the arrest of Aijaz Ahmed Mirza. In this regard, it is intimated that Mirza had been placed as Junior Research Fellow (JRF) for the past few months, at the Centre for Air Borne Systems (CABS), a DRDO laboratory,” he said.

Gupta also said that verification of Mirza’s antecedents as well as police verification was conducted in the process of his placement in the temporary position.

“He was not involved in any sensitive work and as such no sensitive/classified information has been compromised. Disciplinary action as per government of India rules is being taken,” he added.

Under the research fellowship scheme, DRDO offers opportunities to young scientists and engineers to work in its labs in the areas of basic research relevant to the laboratory.

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DRDO lab seals suspect’s workstation

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Deccan Chronicle 

September 1, 2012 By B.R. Srikanth | S.V. Krishna Chaitanya DC Bengaluru/Mysore

The top brass at the Centre for Airborne Systems (CABS) moved swiftly to seal the computer used by terror suspect Aijaz Ahmed Mirza, one of the 11 men arrested Thursday for links to banned terror groups HUJI and LeT.

Documents found on his table were stored with the computer in the organisation’s confidential room.

Scientists at CABS were reportedly shocked about Mirza’s links with LeT and HuJI as the engineering graduate who joined CABS as a junior research fellow in January 2012, was appointed after his antecedents were verified by local police.

Relieved officials said Mirza, who went home to Hubli ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr, did not get a chance to check out the modified Embraer jet, acquired by the organisation to serve as the platform for made-in-India eye-in-the-sky, airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) system, which is now parked in the hangar of CABS.

DRDO: Mirza had no access to sensitive info

The Defence Research and Development Organisation clarified on Friday that Aijaz Mohd Mirza, one of the 11 terror suspects arrested, was not an engineer or a scientist, with access to sensitive information that could prove a threat to national security.

Dr W. Selvamurthy, Chief Controller, R&D (Life Sciences), DRDO, said Mirza was a low cadre temporary recruit, who was appointed as Junior Research Fellow (JRF) on a two-year contract in January, 2012 at the Centre for Airborne Systems which didn’t deal with sensitive information.

“This is the first time in the history of the DRDO that an insider has been arrested for suspected terror links. It came as a shock to the entire organisation. Generally, all top scientists, engineers and other officials of the technical and administrative divisions of the DRDO and offices are monitored by the Central Intelligence Bureau (IB). It’s one of those stray incidents,” he said.

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11 Bangalore terror suspects remanded in police custody

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THE HINDU – BANGALORE, August 31, 2012
The 11 persons arrested by the Bangalore police on Wednesday on the charge of plotting terror strikes in Karnataka, were remanded in police custody for 14 days by a judicial magistrate here on Thursday. Defence Research and Development Organisation, where suspect Aijaz Ahmed Mirza was employed as a junior research fellow, issued a release on Friday, saying Mirza “was not involved in any sensitive work and, as such, no sensitive/classified information has been compromised.”

“Disciplinary action as per Government of India rules is being taken [against Aijaz],” it said adding Mirza’s antecedents were verified before he was taken in.

Even as the police remained tight-lipped, heads of various Muslim organisations, at a press conference, expressed concern at the developments. Students Islamic Organisation (SIO) State president Ashfaq Ahmed said journalist Muthi-ur-Rahman Siddiqui was a listed member of the SIO and the Jamaat-e-Islami.

Jamaat leader Moulana Wahiduddin Khan said, “If those arrested are found guilty, they should be punished by all means.” But he called for more transparency on the part of the police. “Why is it that terrorists from a certain community are always arrested when elections are near,” he asked.

At another press conference, Muthi-ur-Rahman’s brother Ata-ur-Rahman said: “My heart says my brother is innocent.” Meanwhile, the Central Crime Branch of Bangalore police arrested Ubed-ul-Rahman, an MBA student, in Hyderabad.

CLARIFICATION

In a report from Bangalore published in the issue of August 31, headlined “Journalist among 11 arrested for ‘plotting terror in Karnataka’,” the description of some journalists who were purportedly targeted by the alleged plotters as ones “known for their virulent anti-minority columns” was unfair and unwarranted, and escaped gatekeeping mechanisms that are in place to keep such editorialising comments out of the news columns of this newspaper. That description, as well as the loose and imprecise reference to the “divergent ideologies” of two terrorist organisations are regretted and may be deemed as withdrawn. — The Editor

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Bangalore police arrest journalist, 10 others on terror charges

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THE HINDU- BANGALORE, August 30, 2012

They were allegedly plotting to assassinate BJP politicians, Hindutva leaders and journalists

The Central Crime Branch of the Bangalore police arrested six men from the city, including an English newspaper reporter, and five from Hubli on Wednesday on charges of plotting a terrorist attack in the State.

Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, the Director General and Inspector General of Police Lalrokhuma Pachau said that the accused were plotting to assassinate prominent politicians, Hindutva leaders as well as some journalists. He dismissed earlier claims by police officers, who told reporters on the condition of anonymity, that the Uttar Pradesh police was involved in the operation.

In a release, the police claimed that they recovered a 7.65 mm pistol and seven live rounds from those arrested in Bangalore. The police said that the accused were “working for the Lashkar-e-Taiba and the Harkat-ul-jihad-al-islami”.

Among those arrested was 26-year-old Muthi-ur-Rahman Siddiqui a reporter who covered the higher education beat for the English daily Deccan Herald. He was arrested on Wednesday from his flat in Mubarak Mohalla of J.C Nagar along with his roommates who have been identified as MCA student Shoaib Ahmed Mirza, his brother and DRDO junior scientist Aijaz Ahmed Mirza (26), Abdullah Hakim Jamadar (25), Mohammed Yusuf Nalband (28), BCA graduate and salesman Riyaz Ahmed Byahatti (28).

Those arrested from Hubli have been identified as Ubedullah Imran (24), Mohammed Sadiq Lakshkar (28), Wahid Hussain (26) and Dr. Jaffar Iqbal Sholapur.

Police claimed that the group, which was allegedly linked to an international terror network, was under surveillance for the last four months. They were arrested just before they were to execute their plan, police claimed. The release also said that the accused are being investigated for their role in circulating SMSs and MMSs that led to panic among the city’s residents from northeast.

However, contesting police claims, A. M. Mirza, father of Shoaib and Aijaz Ahmed Mirza, said his sons had been framed as part of a “larger conspiracy.”