New Delhi: "Aap namaz padhwayie... In cheezon mein mat padiye (You lead the Namaz, don't get involved in these things)," were the words of Saifullah when the Qazi from the local mosque in Lucknow, tried persuading the alleged ISIS suspect to surrender. Saifullah was killed in an encounter in Lucknow, earlier this month.
Police officers, who were present at the encounter site, confirmed to CNN-News18 that all attempts were made to get Saifullah to surrender, including roping in his local Qazi and his family.
"The man, who had rented out the house to Saifullah, was also one of the caretakers of the mosque. He tried to dissuade Saifullah by telling him that Islam didn't permit what he called jihad, but he was dismissive of the Qazi," Aseem Arun, IG ATS UP, told CNN-News18.
Arun told CNN-News18 that the Qazi even quoted from the Koran, telling Saifullah that he was outside and "no harm will come to you". Saifullah rejected Qazi's offer, quoting more verses from the Koran.
On 8th of March, Saifullah was gheraoed by UP police after a bomb went off in Ujjain-Bhopal passenger train and agencies tipped-off UP police that Saifullah could be a part of the terror conspiracy.
Officers told CNN-News18 that two hours after Saifullah was gheraoed in his Thakurganj, Lucknow residence by UP police, attempts began to get him to surrender.
At around 5:30 PM, a call was made to Saifullah's brother Khalid. The phone, with Khalid's call waiting, was slid under the door of the house, where Saifullah was holed up.
"His brother pleaded Saifullah to surrender. We heard him say, 'ammi ro rahin hain Lagatar... sab pareshan Hai... Aap bahar aa jayie' (Our mother has been incessantly crying, everybody is worried, please come out). "But Saifullah said he wanted to attain martyrdom," an officer told CNN-News18.
Union government has been informed that when all attempts failed, chilli bombs and then, bullets were used to target the alleged ISIS suspect.
NIA is now investigating the allegiance of this group, which is allegedly headed by Atif Muzzafar, and whose second-in-command was Saifullah, as per preliminary investigation.
Officers in the union government are intrigued that the group which claims to be fighting for the cause of religion could not be dissuaded even by the local Qazi.
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