‘Malwani man planned to attack foreigners in December 2015’
MUMBAI: Mohsin Sayyed, the auto rickshaw driver from Malwani accused of instigating local youth to join the Islamic State wanted to attack tourists who would come to India to ring in 2016.
According to the National Investigation Agency’s charge sheet against Sayyed and three others accused in the case, Sayyed and his handler Yusuf Al Hindi and Rizwan Ahmed — the second in command of ISIS in India — instigated young men in Malwani to join ISIS. The three had convinced two people in December last year to leave their homes, but they returned scared. One of them told the Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) Sayyed was upset as he was not able to go abroad for the purpose of “Jihad”, hence he wanted to work for ISIS in India.
The youth, now a witness, said “Sayyed told us the Sheikhs (leaders) have said that if you are not able to go for Hijarat, pick up the weapon wherever you are”.
The witness said Sayyed had been to jail over several cases of theft , where he met a person who could supply arms. The witness said Sayyed lost contact.
“Sayyed told me if he was in touch, he would have taken some weapons and attacked foreigners who came to India on December 31, 2015. He would have opened fire and later sent his picture claiming responsibility to ISIS. This way, ISIS would have taken responsibility for the act,” the witness said.
The witness also said Sayyed was in touch with Ayaz, another ISIS recurit. The witness said one of the conversations Sayyed had mentioned about was with Ayaz. “Sayyed while chatting with Ayaz said people have left from Afghanistan to attack foreigners in India. They wanted to target the Indian economy.”
The charge-sheet shows Sayyed left home on December 15, went to Chennai and on December 23, he returned to Mumbai via Pune. He went to Delhi, then to Gaziabad and Muzaffarnagar and contacted members of the Rorkee ISIS module.
