Bangalore hub of techie-terror network

BANGALORE: Bangalore appears to have turned into a hub of radical techies. Under the banner of Muslim Information Technology Professionals’ Association, these techies in the city are said to be networking and aiding radical groups. With members across the country, the network is concentrated in Bangalore. Intelligence officials and police had information about the existence of this network but did not have any proof to act upon. Meanwhile, they kept surveillance. Now, arrested terror suspect Yahya Iyash Kamkutty, a BTech who was a former employee of GE, has revealed details about the activities of MITA. He has told terror investigators that he was also a member of the network and had attended its meetings. He has also revealed the name of another active member of MITA, K M Shariff. Police are looking for Shariff. Under the banner of discussing ways to improve the lot of Muslim youths, the group used to meet once a week or fortnight at various places, like hotels or halls. Yahya told police that MITA members had met a number of times on M G Road, Bangalore’s main business district, and once at Darus Salam on Queen’s road. The meeting expenses were shared by the members. MITA is said to have several members of the banned Students’ Islamic Movement of India. Cops investigating the terror network in Karnataka suspect the group was providing logistic support like crucial data and financial support to SIMI and Lashkar-e-Taiba. MITA’s existence was detected during surveillance after an incident in 2006. In January 2006, immediately after the attack on IISc on December 28, 2005, four young men were found photographing a software company office. Security guards there spotted the four and when they tried to question them, the youths escaped in a car. However, security personnel had noted down the vehicle number.