ATS detains fugitive Indian Mujahideen terrorist's daughter in Mumbra

The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has detained a 21-year-old woman, Namira Tariq Khan, in the Mumbra area of Thane district. She is the daughter of Tariq Khan, a fugitive terrorist linked to the Indian Mujahideen. Following the action, investigators have stepped up their probe into Namira's foreign trips and a fake passport case.

Investigators suspect Namira obtained a passport by furnishing false information, using addresses in Kurla and Lucknow. Using this passport, she is found to have travelled to Saudi Arabia twice. Investigators believe she may have met her fugitive father during both these trips. They are also probing whether she travelled to Pakistan. Her travel documents, passport and other material are being examined as part of the investigation.

The ATS is also searching for Tariq Khan's wife and Namira's mother, Shabnam alias Firdaus Tariq Khan, who is said to be currently absconding. The investigation found that Namira and her mother had been staying in the Mumbra area for some days. Acting on this information, the ATS took action against Namira and detained her. Tariq Khan faces serious charges including those related to SIMI, the Indian Mujahideen, fake currency, terrorist activities and anti-national acts, and has evaded police for several years.

Tariq Khan's full name is Mohammed Tariq Anjuman Hasan. He is originally from Bihar and is a civil engineer by profession. Investigators say he had been active in the banned organisation SIMI since 1998. He was also involved in founding the Indian Mujahideen along with Riyaz Bhatkal and Iqbal Bhatkal in 2003, and the investigation found he was a founding member and ideological mentor of the organisation. His name also came up in connection with sheltering and aiding youths linked to the Indian Mujahideen in the Kondhwa area of Pune around 2007. Following Namira's detention, the ATS is investigating the exact purpose of her foreign trips, the use of the fake passport and her ties to her fugitive father, and the search for her mother continues.

SIMI, or the Students Islamic Movement of India, was founded in Aligarh in 1977. It initially aimed at religious and social awareness among Muslim youths. It later faced serious allegations of links to radical ideology and terrorist activities, and the central government banned SIMI in 2001. According to investigators, some former SIMI members went on to join the Indian Mujahideen, though SIMI and the Indian Mujahideen are separate organisations.