Mumbai terror suspect's kin claim he has been framed

Mumbai, May 14 (IANS) The family of a Mumbai man arrested last week by the Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) on the charge of terror links on Monday claimed they were clueless about his foreign trips and that he had been framed in the case.

Faisal Hasamali Mirza, 32, of Jogeshwari suburb was arrested on Friday for allegedly planning terror strikes in Mumbai, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh, besides targeting prominent personalities.

Mirza, an electrician by training, was later remanded in police custody till May 21 by a Mumbai court.

"We have absolutely no idea. He merely told us he was going to Dubai for better job prospects. Beyond that, we have no information," said his brother Asif Mirza, a driver.

Asif said that Faisal, who is married and has a nine-month-old daughter, earned around Rs 600-Rs 800 daily, while their third brother Fawad is a driver in Mumbai.

"We feel he has been implicated by someone... last week, police came and took all of us to their office and informed us about the charges against Faisal," Asif said, breaking down before mediapersons.

Asif claimed that he had advised his brother against travelling to Dubai but he did not heed his plea and went abroad on March 1 only to return on April 18.

After he left, Asif said, there was no word from him and the family believed that he had settled there and was earning well.

According to the ATS, Mirza came in contact with a wanted absconder in a bomb blast case, who called him to Sharjah and later to Dubai, from where he went to Pakistan.

In Karachi, the ATS claimed, he underwent training in making bombs, handling weapons, organising suicide bombings and terror strikes, and was made aware of plans to target sensitive installations, prominent personalities and disrupt essential public services.

ATS sources say there he came in contact with the founder and other activists of the banned organisation, Indian Mujahiddeen (IM), and was allegedly planning to carry out terror strikes in Mumbai, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh with the help of other associates.