TN bomb maker nabbed during bid to set up anti-RSS module

CHENNAI: Though Abubacker Siddique – the most wanted explosives expert in TN – managed to keep his head down for three decades, playing the dutiful husband to his third wife, doing couple things like exploring tourist spots with her, while hiding his notorious background from her, his renewed efforts to recruit freshers to execute his militant ideology undid the carefully crafted life, landing him straight in the police net last week.

The Anti-Terrorism Squad’s three decades long manhunt culminated in Siddique’s arrest from Rayachoti in Annamaya district near Kadappah, Andhra Pradesh, last week.

According to DGP Shankar Jiwal, the Tamil Nadu police chief, the arrest was made possible by the meticulously gathered intelligence inputs. The DGP said the arrests of Siddique and his associate Mohammed Ali was the end result of Operation Aram, launched several months ago by the state intelligence unit and ATS.

"Siddique wanted to revive his activities against the RSS and was looking for fresh recruits from the Coimbatore city area. That drew police attention. He had even visited Chennai recently; a CCTV footage from Aminjikarai showed him travelling in an autorickshaw. When police traced the autorickshaw’s registration number, it was found to be of another vehicle," sources added.

Siddique had been an 'ansar' and never a jihadi, according to his confession. What he meant was he was helping jihadis by providing them with logistics support.

"He made and supplied explosives to Muslim militants and also sheltered many operatives. However, after assuming the identity of Amanullah, he had been less active as a militant aide and dedicated more time to reading," sources said.

Siddique knows Tamil, English, Telugu, Hindi, and Urdu. He was very good at covering his tracks and never left any electronic evidence during his travels in TN with the third wife. Interestingly for a man who never carried a mobile phone on the move, the police team seized as many as 16 mobile phones from his possession, besides a laptop, books on C plus and Artificial Intelligence along with 16 kg explosives, including ammonium nitrate, from his Rayachoti house, sources said.

Siddique and Ali had been running a textile shop in AP and had also been into real estate.

The TN police’s long list of cases against Siddique includes the Chinthadripet Hindu Munnani office blast on April l4, 1995, to a number of saffron killings in the state between 2010 and 2013.

According to sources, Siddique managed to dodge police eye all these years by operating under several pseudonyms, working alone, and constantly being on the move; his agility to do a variety of jobs also helped – he once even headed a welding unit in a well-known company in Mumbai.

He also worked in the Gulf for a few years and received training in explosives from the notorious militant Imam Ali of the banned outfit Al Umah. Ali, who had received his training in explosives from Bangladesh, was killed in an encounter in 2002.

The ATS is investigating the source of Siddique’s funding. Sources said he was in possession of valuables worth Rs 30 lakh and that he was once trained in Pakistan. "While working in the Gulf, he had travelled to Sri Lanka and then to Pakistan," they said.

Siddique had married twice while he was in Mumbai. After both marriages failed, he had decided to live on his own until Covid struck him four years ago. Siddique realised he needed someone to take care of him and decided to get married again. However, Siddique kept his background hidden from the third wife.

"She was not aware of his 'explosive' background. Now the AP police have arrested her after seizing 16 kg explosives from their home," said a police official in Chennai.

Though Siddique is considered a mentor to Panna Ismail and Billal Malik, both accused of the saffron killings in TN a decade ago, at least some officials believe that the duo is under the impression that their mentor backstabbed them and led the police to their hideout in Puttur on the Andhra-Tamil Nadu border back in 2013.

THE MAN AND HIS HISTORY

Abubakar Siddique made and supplied explosives and other logistical support to Muslim militants

Siddique has a flair for languages and knows Tamil, English, Telugu, Hindi, and Urdu

Adept at covering his tracks, Siddique never left any electronic evidence during his travels across TN with his third wife

Although he never carried a mobile phone while on the move, the police team seized 16 mobile phones from his Rayachoti house

They also found a laptop, books on C plus and Artificial Intelligence along with 16 kg explosives in the house

Until recently, he has been less active as a militant aide and dedicated more time to reading

He received training in explosives from the notorious militant Imam Ali of the banned outfit Al Umah

Siddique allegedly mentored Panna Ismail and Billal Malik, both accused of the saffron killings in TN a decade ago