Kolkata, March 25
Eminent Indian scientist and recipient of the country’s highest award, Bharat Ratna, Dr Abdul Kalam was the target of attack by the Harkat-ul-Jehadi-Islami at an official function on September 30 at Bokaro steel city, Jharkhand, disclosed the special investigation team officials after interrogating Aftab Ansari, the prime accused in the terrorist attack on Kolkata’s American Center. Dr Kalam is former scientific and technological adviser to the Prime Minister.
Ansari who had been brought to the city last week from Gujarat with the court’s order in connection with the kidnapping of the Khadim owner, Partha Roy Burman, and the terrorist attack on the city’s American Center, was handed over to Kolkata police yesterday.
Earlier, the CID officials interrogated him at the headquarters at Alipore for six days had unearthed secret information about the ISI operations in India, including killing, kidnapping, spying and destroying of the country’s military and other important installations, said the police.
During the last 24 hours, the DCDD of Kolkata, Mr Somen Mitra, also interrogated Ansari at the Lalbazar police lock and got the admission of ISI’s involvement in the attack on the American Center.
According to the IG (CID), Mr Partha Bhattacharjee, there was a plan to kill Dr Kalam on September 30 by the ISI which had engaged two members of the Harkat-ul-Jehadi-Islami, Md Zahir and Selim, to take on the scientist on way to Bokaro from Ranchi on road. Dr Kalam was to travel by car to Bokaro to address the annual convention of Srikrishna Singh Institute of Public Administration.
Ansari reportedly told the IG he had been conveyed the decision about killing Dr Kalam by the ISI authorities and told to assist the suicide squad members in the operation. Ansari further admitted he had to mastermind several other operations at the instance of the ISI and in the recent time they were successful in the kidnapping of Partha Roy Burman and the attack on the American Center.
Aftab Ansari said their attempt to kill Dr Kalam was not successful because of the government’s last time decision to take him to Bokaro from Ranchi airport by a helicopter. He said everything was in order in the preparation of killing Dr Kalam on his way to Bokaro by road and Zahir and Selim had been posted accordingly.
However, Zahir was killed in an encounter with the police the same morning near Bokaro town, while Selim escaped. Ansari had no information about the whereabouts of Selim who might have fled to Dubai via Kathmandu by road.
Both IG (CID), Mr Bhattacharjee, and the DCDD, Mr Mitra, said their respective investigations into the kidnapping and attack on the American Center had been at the final stage. They claimed all the mysteries relating to these incidents could be now resolved after interrogating Aftab Ansari and other accused.
