HYDERABAD: A Hyderabad-based former Captain with the Indian Army, Dr Ashfaq Alam, was picked up by Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad (UPATS) on Thursday night, in connection with the blast that rocked Masjid in Kushinagar district.
According to media reports, the blast took place in Bairagi Patti on Monday in Turkpatti police station limits.
UPATS along with Counter Intelligence Cell of Telangana conducted searches in Dr. Alam’s residence in East Janaki Nagar of Tolichowki on Thursday and took him to Kushinagar for interrogation.
A native of Bairagi Patti, Captain Alam served in the Army Medical Corps before quitting in 2017 to prepare for civil services examination.
His wife, Captain S.J. Alam is also a doctor and posted at the Army Hospital in Hyderabad.
Dr Alam was confronted as his grandfather Haji Qutubbuddin, a resident of the village is the alleged mastermind of the explosion.
It is reported that Dr. Alam was present in the village when explosives went off inside the mosqueon November 11.
The probe agencies believe Qutubbuddin to have procured over 10 kg of low-intensity explosives to Kushinagar and stored in the mosque in April this year.
Remains of explosives from the blast site have been sent to forensic Lab, Agra.
Dr Alam came back to Hyderabad with the consent of Kushinagar Superintendent of Police Vinod Kumar Mishra after agencies like IB, ATS, special intelligence interrogated him.
Out of seven persons, altogether, six including three minors were arrested.
Four persons including the imam of the masjid identified as Maulana Azimuddin, Izhar, Ashiq Ansari and Javed Ansari sent to police remand for 48 hours in connection with the blast.
While another accused identified as Salauddin Ansari aka Munna is currently at large.