JOIN USZafar Shoolapur, a terror accused arrested by the Bangalore police in Hubli lived just a stone’s throwaway from Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar’s residence at Badami Nagar in the City all these years.
Zafar, a doctor, and son of a senior officer with the Forest department in Udupi district, had been staying with his parents at house number 27/A, the fourth house from chief minister’s residence for years. Sources in the Police department said Zafar has two brothers - one, a software engineer and another, a doctor in Bangalore. He has a sister, who is also a doctor. According to a neighbour who wished to be unnamed, the family maintained a distance from people.
Even after the news of arrest of Zafar spread like wild fire and mediapersons started gathering, there was hardly any police personnel in the area till afternoon.
“We do not know much about the arrest. We came to know about it only through the newspapers,” said a police constable.
Shocked by the arrest of four terror accused in their backyard, the residents were wondering about the failure of Intelligence people to identify a major security threat near the house of the chief minister.
People of Hubli-Dharwad feel that the twin cities are not safe any more. It may be mentioned here the Anti-Terrorist Cell sleuths from Bangalore had arrested 10 persons- Asadulla Abubakkar, Hafeez Husain, Mohammed Sami Bagevadi, Mohd Yasin, Mohammed Asif, Nadeem Sayeed, Dr Asadulla H A, Nashir Ahmed, Shakeel Ahammed and Dr Mirza Ahamed Baig-- from Hubli and Davangere in 2008 on charges of involving in anti-national activities.
Imran alias Ubedulla, arrested on charges of anti-national activities on Wednesday from Vasanthnagar in Hubli studied Diploma in Tool and Dye Making at NTTF in Dharwad from 2004-05. After completing his course, Ubedulla got a job in Bangalore and later he moved to Dubai, his classmates said.
“He is a good orator and used to say a lot about himself. He used to bunk classes and pick fights with friends occasionally,” they said.
Another arrested, Vaheed Hussain Kanakannavar, is an MBA graduate. Ubedulla Bahadduri is an electrical engineer, Sadiq Lashkari worked as demolisher and Mehaboob Saifuddin, as a mason.
There is an eerie silence in the residences of the terror accused in the City. The parents of the youth were at a loss of words when the mediapersons visited their houses on Thursday.
“A six-member team came to our house on Wednesday and took Vaheed into their custody saying that they have to inquire him,” said Vaheed’s father, Abdul Munaf, a retired railway employee.
Munaf said Vaheed had availed a loan of Rs 2.9 lakh to pursue his MBA degree and was a bit depressed as the bank had issued notice for recovery of the money. “We had promised him that we would repay the loan by selling our house in Gadag,” he said.