Mumbai: In the course of interrogating the accused involved in the ISIS Maharashtra Terror Module case, a shocking revelation emerged. During the investigation, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) was surprised that the accused had chosen a location near Mumbai which they believed to be equivalent to the holy land of Syria.
The terrorists allegedly told their interrogators that those who couldn't reach the actual Sam-E-Pak land in Syria could reach an area adjacent to Mumbai, which they considered aholy la nd. They claimed that all the Sharia laws that apply in the land of Syria were believed to apply in this area near Mumbai as well. This new Syria for the radicals is Padgha in Bhiwandi taluka of Thane district.
As per the NIA investigation and the interrogation reports of the terror accused, they designated Padgha as a "pious place" where they aimed to follow Islamic practices like the Sharia law as is being done in Syria. The NIA investigation and interrogation reports indicate that they intended to establish certain pious pockets in India where a form of pure Islam could be practised like Syria.
'Padgha is the equivalent of Syria'
During the interrogation, IS terror accused Zulfikar Ali Barodawala, who was apprehended in Padgha, stated that he believes Padgha to be the equivalent of the holy land of Syria, and thus he operates his jihadist activities from there. According to agency sources, Barodawala is the main mastermind behind this ideology and the ISIS Maharashtra Terror Module. Despite being a Saat Rasta (Jacob Circle) resident in Mumbai, he relocated to Padgha six months ago because he believed it to be a holy place. A B.Com graduate, he has been working in an IT company in Andheri for the past 16 years. He was regularly commuting between Andheri and Padgha before his arrest by the NIA.
Syrian law in Padgha
According to sources, he was transferred by his IT company to Pune three years ago. However, influenced by the preaching of his brother-in-law Dr Adnan Ali Sarkar, who was also arrested, he made the decision to relocate to Padgha six months ago. His intent was to establish the same Syria Law in Padgha with the help of his associates, creating an alternative for those who were unable to travel to the holy land of Syria. He arranged transfer from Pune to Mumbai.
According to agency sources, Barodawala obtained a visa for Turkey for himself and his family two months prior. He attempted to persuade his IT company that he would work remotely from Turkey, managing both his job responsibilities and providing support to associate companies of his IT firm. However, his IT company declined his proposal. As a result, he continued working for his Andheri-based IT company while residing in Padgha.
Dismantling Indian civil system
During the interrogation, NIA discovered that Barodawala and his associates were deeply committed to persuading his recruits and followers to shift to Padgha and create a community that would establish its own laws like shariat law, thereby dismantling the Indian civil, police, and legal systems put in place by the Indian government.
According to the agencies, their intention was to establish additional such pockets for those who desired to go to Syria. Agencies suspect that over the past few months, Padgha has become the epicenter of terrorist activities.
