New Delhi , October 23
After the arrest of key Indian Mujahideen (IM) terror suspect Fasih Mahmood, the police is now hunting for a person codenamed “white uncle”, who is believed to be one of the seven founding members of the group, and is also probing his role in the ‘Darbhanga module’.

Fasih, who was deported from Saudi Arabia and arrested by the Delhi Police here yesterday, allegedly disclosed to investigators that he met another IM founding member, Yasin Bhatkal alias Ahmad Zarar Siddibappa through one Maulana Sheesh.

Police sources said Sheesh is the son-in-law of “white uncle” and was in constant touch with Fasih. Sheesh is said to be an owner of a perfumery at Bhatkal, a port town in Karnataka.

Fasih and Yasin met at the perfumery for the first time about nine years ago when Fasih was studying at Anjuman Engineering College there. The police claimed Fasih told investigators that Yasin, who was “in his early twenties had an aggressive streak”, which made him think of using extreme violence in terror activities.

In 2003, Fasih took Yasin to his hometown in Darbhanga, Bihar, where he introduced him to his maternal uncle, Gauhar Aziz Khomani.

Khomani was arrested in November last year after Delhi police carried out a nation-wide crackdown that led to the arrest of 14 IM members. He is allegedly involved in the 2010 Jama Masjid shooting in Delhi, Pune German Bakery and Bangalore’s Chinnaswamy stadium bomb blasts.

The sources said Khomani was acquainted with suspected IM member Qateel Siddiqui, who was murdered at Pune’s Yerwada Central Jail. Siddiqui was an accused in the Jama Masjid shootout, Bangalore’s Chinnaswamy stadium and Pune German Bakery blast cases. Siddiqui worked for Khomani, who the sources described as a small time contractor.

Khomani and another arrested IM member Mohammed Tariq Anjuman Hasan, during their police interrogation, named Fasih. Tariq was also a student of the Anjuman Engineering College, where he met Fasih, said the sources.

Fasih has been named in Delhi Police’s FIR registered in connection with the IM’s Mir Vihar arms factory in Delhi. The factory was busted after the arrest of six IM members in November last year. Fasih was charged for being a part of “the banned Indian Mujahideen”.

Meanwhile, Fasih was produced at Delhi’s Tis Hazari court last night and remanded to police custody for 10 days. Fasih was deported from Saudi Arabia yesterday and was arrested by the Special Cell at the IGI airport. He was detained in Saudi Arabia in May this year.

He was allegedly collecting finances for the IM and funding the outfit’s activities.