Recovered note hints at IS links of accused in ASI murder case

Thiruvananthapuram: As the probe into the recent murder of a Tamil Nadu cop at a checkpost at Kaliyikkavila, close to southern Kerala border, gathers steam, police have recovered a note likely pointing to the links of the accused to the global terrorist outfit Islamic State (IS).

The note, exposing the close links of Tamil Nadu National League with IS, was recovered from the bag of the accused Abdul Shameem and Toufeeq Yusuff who were arrested at the Udupi Railway station on January 14 for the murder of Assistant Sub-Inspector of Police, Wilson, on January 8.

The Q Branch police, a wing of the Criminal Investigation Department of the Tamil Nadu Police, also suspected that the accused in the case were closely associated with the Tamil Nadu National League.

The note was recovered from the bag the accused had handed over to one Jaffar, who has been taken into custody. The bag was found from Jaffar's residence.

The note in Tamil had only three lines. The lines included: "Will fight for religion in India. Kaja Bhai is our leader." Police suspect that Kaja Bhai referred to in the letter is Kaja Moideen of the Tamil Nadu National League recently arrested by the ‘Q’ Branch from Bengaluru.

This clue validated the findings of the intelligence agencies that the IS used local organisations for creating communal disturbances in the country. These local organisations recruit people without any criminal background to carry out the operations. As a result, it became difficult for the police to track their operations before they are executed.

The police had recently got information about the IS connections of computer engineer Saidali who is a native of Punnakaduvila in Thettiyodu in Kerala's Kollam district. He is one of the accused wanted by the Q Branch in connection with the murder of ASI Wilson.

The ASI was killed the day after the police had questioned Saidali at his home for his alleged involvement with terror outfits.

People in Thettiyodu found it hard to believe that Saidali had links with terrorist organisations as he was amiable.

Pointing to inter-state links, Yusuff, the main accused in the ASI murder case, had married a Malayali woman who was a native of a village close to Kerala-Tamil Nadu border.

Evidence collection

Abdul Shameem and Toufeeq Yusuff was brought to Neyyatinkara by the Q Branch police, a wing of the Criminal Investigation Department of the Tamil Nadu Police. Both were brought to the place to recover the bag they had handed over to Jaffar.

The investigators are trying to find out why the accused to spend long hours in Neyyatinkara before the murder.

Knife recovered

The Q-branch recovered a blood-stained knife purportedly used by the accused for the murder. It was retrieved from an isolated place on the premises of main bus terminal at Thampanoor in Thiruvananthapuram. The search was held in the presence of the accused Shameem and Yusuff and the former pointed out to cops the abandoned murder weapon which was kept in a plastic cover.

One of the accused had stabbed the ASI thrice before he was shot dead inside the check post. The knife was abandoned at the bus terminal as the killers crossed over into Kerala after the murder. The accused then proceeded to Ernakulam, further north, and dumped the pistol used for the murder there. As reported earlier, the police had recently recovered this pistol.

As part of evidence collection the accused were brought to the bus terminal and later taken to Neyyatinkara, Balaramapuram and Vithura, all in southern part of Thiruvananthapuram, close to the inter-state border.

The accused had visted Neyyatinkara and Vithura before the murder. The knife was purchased from a shop in Balaramapuram as none of the shops in Neyyatinkara was open on account of the nation-wide general strike.

The police would also question the accused to get information on whether they got any local support from the places they visited.