Days after the Gorakhpur temple attack, where the accused Ahmad Murtaza Abbasi forcibly tried to enter the premises of the temple and attacked two cops with sharp weapons, one Maulana Ilyasi has told the police that the accused was under the influence of black magic. Maulana Ilyasi is a teacher in the same Madarsa that Ahmad Murtaza Abbasi had attended.
According to a report by ABP Live, the Maulana stated in his statement recorded at Navi Mumbai’s NRI Police Station that Ahmad Murtaza Abbasi’s father approached him in 2016 and expressed concern that someone had done black magic on Murtaza. Murtaza’s father had told the Maulana about his son’s sudden change in behaviour, according to the Maulana. Murtaza, he claimed, stayed awake all night and acted strangely.
This could very well be another attempt to whitewash the Jihadi antecedents of the attacker, given that earlier, his father had claimed that he was mentally unstable – a claim which the doctors refuted.
The Maulana went on to call the attacker an extremely timid and quiet person. He said that during his childhood days, Murtaza did not have many friends. He liked to mostly be on his own. The Maulana stated that Murtaza had stayed in the Taj Height building from 2014 to 2020. There was a Madarsa built in the basement of the same building where the Maulana was a teacher. During that period, Murtaza used to frequently visit the Madarsa to offer Namaz and then return home quietly without interacting with many people, said Maulana Ilyasi.
Attacker was trying to develop ‘jihadi app’, planning to join ISIS
Meanwhile, Murtaza Abbasi’s interrogation revealed that he was attempting to develop a jihadi app called ‘Jarima’ at the behest of Islamic terror groups. In Arabic, the word ‘Jarima’ means ‘oppression.’ Abbasi used to exchange messages via the Pir2Pir app before creating this Arabic-language jihadi app, which is widely used by Islamic ultras.
The investigation also revealed a ‘honey trap’ angle.
According to reports, Abbasi’s interest in radical ideas began with an email from a girl in an ISIS camp in Syria. Ahmad Murtaza Abbasi admitted to interrogators that he had transferred money several times into the girl’s account. He was also planning to join the terrorist organisation ISIS.
Abbasi revealed that a girl from an ISIS camp in Syria sent him an email, as well as a photo, and promised to meet him in India. Abbasi, in turn, sent her Rs 40,000. They began communicating via e-mail, and as a result, Abbasi came into contact with ISIS terrorists. He was also rumoured to be on his way to Syria via Nepal.
How SP chief Akhilesh Yadav downplayed the Gorakhnath Temple attack
Interestingly, prior to this, the Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav had attempted to downplay the seriousness of the Gorakhnath Temple attack claiming that the attacker was suffering from psychiatric problems. He had alleged that the BJP was exaggerating the matter.
Soon after the attack, the family members of the accused had also claimed that he was mentally ill.
Doctors refute claims that the attacker was mentally unstable
However, the doctor who treated Abbasi refuted the claims that he was mentally unstable. The Superintendent in Chief of Gorakhpur District Hospital JSP Singh said that the accused was talking coherently during the medical examination. He was responding to the queries of the Police and the doctors. He further added Abbasi did not display any signs of being violent, which made the doctors believe he was not mentally unstable.
It is pertinent to note that on March 31, the intelligence agencies had sent a list of 16 suspects to UP Police. Ahmad Murtaza’s name was on the list. Earlier, it was reported that Murtaza was under ATS’s scanner. The investigation agencies have also sealed Murtaza’s house for further investigation. Reports suggest that during the attack, Abbasi was accompanied by another man who escaped when Abbasi was overpowered by the Police personnel. During the investigation, the security agencies found he was influenced by banned Islamic preacher Zakir Naik and might have ISIS links.
Gorakhnath temple attack
On April 3, Ahmad Murtaza Abbasi attacked Police personnel outside Gorakhnath Temple, Gorakhpur. The incident took place a day before CM Yogi Adityanath was scheduled to visit the temple. Abbasi severely injured two Police personnel with a sharp weapon. Reports suggest he was with another man who escaped when Abbasi was overpowered by the Police personnel.
It is pertinent to note that Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is the head priest (Mahant) of Gorakhnath Temple and has his personal accommodation on the temple premises. At the time of the attack, CM Yogi was not at the temple.
