ATS Questions Thane Teacher in Al-Qaeda Linked Probe

Mumbai, Nov 12 (PTI) The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has questioned a teacher in Thane regarding the arrest of a Pune-based software engineer linked to Al Qaeda and other banned groups, as reported by officials on Wednesday.

The teacher's home in Mumbra, Thane district, was reportedly used for a meeting by the arrested engineer, Zubair Hangargekar. The ATS apprehended Hangargekar, 37, on October 27 due to his purported connections with outlawed organizations such as Al Qaeda and Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent, as well as for suspected involvement in radicalization efforts.

During their investigations, the ATS discovered a Pakistani contact number saved on Hangargekar's old phone. Further probing revealed Hangargekar had visited Mumbra for a meeting. Following this lead, the ATS officials visited the teacher's residence on Tuesday to gather information about Hangargekar and the specifics of the meeting.

The teacher is not considered an accused or a witness in the case, clarified an official. Earlier this month, in a Pune court, the ATS accused Hangargekar of delivering "aggressive" religious discourses in the Kondhwa area of the city.

In a search of Hangargekar's residence, the ATS confiscated mobile phones containing deleted PDF files titled 'Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) and All Its Manifestations'. Also discovered was an Urdu translation of a speech by the late Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden for Eid-ul-Fitr. Among the materials found was a magazine titled 'Inspire', featuring photographs of AK-47 training at the OSG Gun School and documents explaining the procedure to create an IED using acetone peroxide from an OSG bomb school.

The ATS reported that during the searches, an old phone belonging to Hangargekar was retrieved from an individual. Analysis of the phone's contact list showed five international phone numbers saved, including one from Pakistan, two from Saudi Arabia, and one each from Kuwait and Oman. However, the phone's call records do not indicate any calls made to these numbers.

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