Guilty Until Further Notice

It seems that police and press never get tired of these high profile terror arrests. All of them are given prominent position in coverage, of course, just carrying police version of the story, since there is no one else to give another version. But why don’t these esteemed journalists bother to ask simple questions to their sources in intelligence and police departments?

Here are my simple questions and comments. See if you can find some more holes in this story.

Media: The Times of India
Journalists: N D Shiva Kumar & Ambarish B

Bangalore engineer with terror designs held

BANGALORE: An electrical engineer who was once employed with a leading US multinational and is an active member of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) has been arrested from Bangalore by police who claim the 32-year-old could hold the key to cracking a dangerous terror web that spanned swathes of India, from UP to Kerala.

He could have done more economic damage to India and the US when he was employed by the multinational. So this means that when he was student or working with the multinational company he could not have turned to terror ideology.

I am not sure how they found that if someone can be active member of a banned organization. What kind of activity a banned organization can have?

So the “terror web” is not cracked yet but police is hoping that he is the person who holds the key information that will bring down the whole web from UP to Kerala.

A native of a village near Kozhikode, Kerala, Yahya Iyash Kamkutty came to Bangalore eight years ago after completing a bachelor’s degree in engineering from one of Kerala’s best institutes. While working with GE, he kept in touch with terror suspects Mohammed Asif, Asadullah Abubaker and their associates. The gang held several meetings in north Karnataka and were preparing to strike at key installations in the state, police said.

No mention of when and how he turned into a terrorist. When he was doing engineering in Kerala or working at GE? Again when he can do more damage while working at GE and possibly go undetected, I am not sure why would he go for attacking “key installations.” No mention if meeting was limited to only members from Karanataka or other cells too. If he is a key player as claimed by the police, he would have traveled to diff. parts of the country or at least met with terrorists from other states.

Yahya’s arrest late on Thursday once again points to the increasing use of highly-trained professionals being lured into terror groups which have used sophisticated methods and planning in their attacks.

Not sure how many of these professionals have been found to be involved in any terror activity? Yet to find evidence of anyone’s involvement.

It was from Bangalore that Glasgow bomber Kafeel Ahmed, a PhD scholar in aeronautical engineering and his brother, Sabeel Ahmed, went to UK.

Sure, Kafeel, Sabeel went to UK and let’s not forget Mohammed Haneef. Only reason we now know that he is not a terrorist because his interrogation transcripts were leaked to the press. Otherwise he would have been still in jail, labeled a terrorist.

Police said Yahya became more active in SIMI after he lost his job at GE while trying to steal data to set up his own firm.

So if he is a real terrorist, why would he devote his time and energy in setting up his own firm when he can put that for destructive use? If you think he can use his firm as a front for a terror activity, then why would he need to steal data from his employer. If the intention is to use a firm as a front then who cares what data and what software you have?

Again, did he travel to diff. parts of the country to activate SIMI what increased activity we see?

It was another arrested terror suspect, Mohammed Asif, who revealed the name of Yahya and his association with SIMI. Thereafter, the cops, who were investigating recent terror cases in north Karnataka, started questioning Yahya. Finally, on Thursday night, he was arrested.

So his name was revealed by another one AND after than cops started questioning Yahya. The language suggests that he was questioned on more than one occasion. So his accomplice gets arrested, cops question him many times and he still stay put in Bangalore? didn’t even try to run to Kerala or some other place to hide, even when he knows his game is up? Something fishy here.

Police have seized a laptop, hard disc, jihadi material and hundreds of books from Yahya’s house. They would be sending the hard disc for decoding information. They are hoping to get his contacts, communication and plans from the email communication.

Laptop and hard disc, I understand everyone have those. What is jihadi material? Are Islamic books considered “Jihadi material?” Then I guess every Muslim will be guilty of having Islamic books. If he had “Jihadi material”, whatever that means, why he didn’t get rid of those even when his accomplice got arrested and he is questioned multiple times by cops? A guy who has hundred of books is not exactly a terror recruiting material, it will be difficult to brain wash a well read person to go and kill someone.

So let me get this straight, they didn’t find any arms, ammunitions, explosives or any other material to directly link to any past or planned terror activity?

Karnataka sleuths took Yahya to Hubli to produce him before a magistrate because the case is registered there. They plan to take him in their custody and put him through polygraph tests, brain mapping and narcoanalysis.

And then kill him in an encounter or release after months and years without an apology and ruin his and his family’s lives.