Anti-Terrorism Squad chief Rakesh Maria on Friday said that Haroon Naik was a member of the core committee of Indian Mujahideen and is in the league of Riyaz Bhatkal and Subhan Qureshi.
Naik, the police said, had taken advanced training in terrorism called Bait-e-Rizwan and had fought for the Al Qaeda in Afghanistan and later handling IM operations from Saudi Arabia.
“Naik is a very important member of the IM. He was a part of the core committee that took decisions on the operations. In the IM hierarchy, he is even senior to Yasin Bhatkal and figures in the top three operatives of the terror outfit. Earlier, he was a part of the Azam Cheema group of the Lashkar-e-Tayyaba (LeT),” said Mr Maria.
He added that Naik had undergone both the Daura-e-aam and Daura-e-khaas training that is imparted by the LeT in Bahawalpur in Pakistan. “He wanted to fight jihad in Afghanistan and so in early 2001, he undertook a 15-day advanced course called Bait-e-Rizwan. After completing this course, he went to Kandahar to fight for the Al Qaeda,” Mr Maria said.
According to him, in 2005, Naik crossed over into Pakistan from the Wagah border on a Nepali passport. “We even have evidence to prove this,” he said.
Naik, who was born in Kurla, finished his initial schooling there and then studied in Malegaon.
He then returned to Mumbai and stayed in Cheetah Camp where he got in touch with IM founder Riyaz Bhatkal and Tariq Ismail.
Mr Maria said that lately, he had been handling IM operations from Saudi Arabia and had arranged for the money used in the July 13 triple blasts.