The terror suspects arrested in the assassination plots have indicated that the Hubli module operatives may have been cut loose by their handler in Saudi Arabia and asked to fund their ‘personal vendetta’ against the journalists and politicians they perceived as being anti-Islam. Officials probing the activities of the terror suspects were shocked to learn that the so-called ‘Hubli 14’ were instructed to carry out robberies to gather funds to support their modules, marking a clear break from past practice.
This has led investigating officials to conclude that the handler in Saudi Arabia, suspected to be Majid Bilal, had dumped the local commander Zakeer alias Ustad as he was intent on turning the attack into a “personalised vendetta against targets with no national stature which would have little impact nationally,” sources said. Sources said that Zakeer, the alleged mastermind of assassination plots, had sought the backing of HuJI commander Majid Bilal, but was dumped by him after the targets were selected.
The same sources said that one of the suspects arrested from Basaveshwaranagar, Shoaib Ahmed Mirza has admitted that the self-styled Harkat ul Jihadul Islami and Lashkar-e-Tayyaba commander, Zakeer alias Ustad had directed the men to make plans for heists and kidnap eminent people for ransom. A jewellery store in Hubli was selected as one of the targets with the robbery to be conducted after the first kill. Neither LeT nor HuJI have used robberies and dacoities, to fund their activities. A senior official also said that HuJI and LeT had always carried out attacks using weapons like AK 56, AK 47 and grenades. Using short range weapons like pistols was more favoured by SIMI supported operations.
Zakeer had reportedly told the suspects he would take them to Hubli, Nanded in Maharashtra and Hyderabad, to show them the weapons stored.