Pledge to fight for ISIS; financial aid to terrorists, more evidence against Gorakhnath temple attack accused Ahmed Murtaza

LUCKNOW: The police released more evidence against Ahmed Murtaza Abbasi, arrested during an attack on Gorakhnath temple in Uttar Pradesh last month, for his links with the terrorist organisation ISIS.

The Uttar Pradesh ADGP said that he had pledged to fight for the ISIS and had provided financial assistance to the organization's supporters.

Murtaza pledged to work for the ISIS in 2020. He was in constant touch with Mehndi Masood, who campaigned for the organization, through social media. Police added that Abbasi had also been in contact with ISIS fighters abroad through social media.

He had trained at home with air rifles, determined to attack if weapons were found. The police said that during interrogation he had revealed that he had been constantly reading and understanding about various weapons such as AK 47 and 5-4 carbines.

The UP Anti-Terrorist Squad had earlier found that money had been transferred from his bank account to an ISIS account thrice. Murtaza, a highly educated chemical engineer from IIT Bombay, had travelled to Saudi Arabia in 2016. He had tried to travel to Syria but had failed.

Gorakhnath Temple is a temple which has Yogi Adityanath, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, as the main priest. There is tight security in the temple. The temple was attacked on March 27. Security personnel on duty tried to stop Murtaza from trying to enter the temple chanting religious slogans. They were wounded with a weapon. Murtaza was later arrested by the police.