The Mumbra township in Thane district is in a state of shock after Mudabbir Shaikh was picked up by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of Maharashtra police for links with Islamic State (IS) network, but the 33-year-old terror suspect’s family is clueless about his activities.
Mumbra residents said Mudabbir mostly kept to himself, was a sort of recluse and was seen in public only during the time of namaz and on special occasions. He rarely mingled with people or got involved in social activities.
Mudabbir stayed in Mumbra with his wife Uzma, two minor daughters – one eight-year-old and the other nine-month-old -- and his father-in-law Ahmed Miyan.
Mumbra is about 40 km from Mumbai in the eastern suburbs. They had shifted here around four years ago. Prior to that Mudabbir worked in a computer firm in Goregaon and stayed in Nalasopara area of Palghar district, nearly 55 km from Mumbai in the far western suburbs. Mudabbir hails from Pune, it is said.
A resident of 404, Reshma Cooperative Housing Society in Amrutnagar area of Mumbra, Mudabbir had quit his job around one-and-a-half years ago and was seen glued to computers or cellphones. By training he was a diploma in computer software development.
‘Dependent on media’
“We really do not know what has happened, what he has done,” said Mudabbir’s father-in-law Ahmed Miyan, a real estate agent. “We are dependent on the media to know the reason. We are still in shock,” added Uzma.
“When the officers came and took him away, my daughter was told that they are from ATS and NIA and they are taking her husband for inquiry,” the father-in-law said, adding that some papers and a computer were taken away.
“He used to work in Goregaon area but was freelancing now, we were told. How should we know what he was exactly doing,” asked the hapless man. “Ever since he was taken away, we have not been able to speak to him,” Uzma rued.
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