Hyderabadi has no links to SIMI activists

Hyderabad Cleric Abdul Aleem Islahi has denied charges by Hyderabad Police that his son Motasim Billah motivated and was helping two SIMI activists from Maharashtra to go to Afghanistan for Jihad training.

Islahi told reporters Friday that after failing in its previous attempts police is again trying to implicate his son in false cases.

Claiming that Billah has no links with SIMI, he pointed out that the court had acquitted him in all the cases booked by police in the past.

Islahi alleged that police is continuing to harass his family. "They killed my elder son in cold blood and they are now targeting my younger son," said Islahi.

In 2004, Billah's brother Mujahid Saleem was killed when a team of Gujarat Police opened fire in Hyderabad as he tried to resist their attempts to arrest cleric Moulana Naseeruddin.

Billah also claimed that he is innocent. He alleged that police were trying to frame false charges against him.

Police Wednesday arrested two youth on their arrival in Hyderabad from Maharashtra.

It claimed that Billah had motivated them during their visit to the city last month to go to Afghanistan to get training from the Al Qaeda in order to wage jihad in India to establish an Islamic State.

Mothasim had even offered financial support to the duo for visa processing, police said.

Shah Mudassir alias Talha (25) and Shoeb Ahmed Khan alias Pusad Shoeb (24), both residents of Maharashtra, are said to be members of banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI).

According to police, the SIMI activists through social networks came in contact with two citizens of Pakistan and one of Afghanistan.

Police have not yet arrested Billah. Police Commissioner Mahender Reddy Friday told reporters that they are seeking custody of the two accused for further questioning.

The police chief refused to comment on Islahi's allegations.

"The investigations are on and on the basis of evidence we will take action. We will conduct investigations with open mind. Till proved otherwise every person is innocent. We will go very very professionally in the investigations," he said.

"We will not arrest anybody if there is no or insufficient evidence. Once the evidence is there, we will not hesitate to arrest anyone," said the commissioner.

The top cop said it would be difficult at this stage to say who else are involved in the case.