Terror suspects rented New Town 1BHK, kept low profile

Kolkata/Malda: The two young men arrested by Delhi Police's special cell in New Town last week over alleged terror links largely kept to themselves, venturing out only occasionally and sometimes disappearing for days, according to their neighbours. The duo had rented out a 1-BHK flat in the Hatiara neighbourhood, under Eco Park police station, roughly eight months ago."They did their shopping from a local grocery store and a nearby market but never really mingled much. Their rent has been pending for the past two months," said a neighbour who did not want to be identified.
Umar Faruk (31) and Robiul Islam (31) were picked up by Delhi Police after investigators pieced together what they called a wider network with alleged links to Lashkar-e-Taiba. While Faruk is from a small village in Malda, Islam is suspected to be a Bangladeshi national from Thakurgaon district.Investigators said the arrests followed a trail that began in Delhi earlier this month and led them to Kolkata based on digital footprints and hotel records.According to investigators, the duo left Kolkata on Feb 6 and travelled to Delhi via Patna. There, they allegedly pasted pro-Pakistan and pro-terror posters at 10 locations before returning to Kolkata on Feb 8.CCTV footage from a hotel in Delhi, where they stayed briefly, helped cops retrieve the phone numbers that eventually led them to New Town. "The suspects were caught on CCTV. Once their (phone) numbers were identified and tracked to Kolkata, coordination was established and they were apprehended," a Bidhannagar police officer said.Faruk's arrest, meanwhile, has sent shockwaves in Gopalnagar of Malda district. His family members and neighbours expressed disbelief at the accusations made against him.Faruk married Semi Khatun only a year ago. He visited home two months back and promised that he would return during Ramzan. Rohima Biwi, Faruk's mother, said, "My son is innocent and very simple. He believes everyone. That's why he might have landed in trouble." She insisted that her son had never travelled beyond Kolkata.Faruk's father, Akhtar Hussain, is a migrant labourer. "Faruk too was a mere labourer. He is being framed. He can do no harm," Hussain said. Neighbours of the family said they had never noticed anything unusual in Faruk's behaviour. "He had no association outside the village. We never saw him with any objectionable literature," one of them said.Manirul Sk, a gram panchayat member, said the village was stunned. "I have known Faruk for a long time. He went to Kolkata like hundreds of local youth do to try and earn a living. We have no idea who he came in contact with there."