Friday, July 22 2005 19:05 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Lucknow: In the first arrest in UP in connection with the terrorist attack in Ayodhya, police today (July 22, 2005) picked up a doctor practising in Delhi from Saharanpur.

Police also located a hideout of the terrorist in Akbarpur, where they were suspected to have travelled to Faizabad-Ayodhya to carry out the attack on July 5.

Dr Irfan Khan, a Unani doctor, practicising in Sangam vihar area of Delhi, was arrested from Nakud area of Saharanpur, Inspector General, Special Task force, Arun Kumar Gupta told reporters.

Dr Khan had been in touch with the terrosits and they had also made seven calls to him from Akbarpur, he said.

Gupta said, one of the terrorists, identified as Amin alias Zuber, had visited Nakud, the native place of Dr.Khan on March 20 to attend the wedding of his cousin. Dr Khan and Zuber then visited Deoband.

On their way back, the duo had stayed in Muzaffarnagar with one Abdul Rehman, also of Nakud, who worked in Messay Ferguson tractor company for two days, he said adding the doctor was aware of the terrorists' plans.

The terrorists had made seven calls to Dr.Khan during their stay in Akbarpur in May, Gupta said adding it has been established that he had come to Lucknow for some work but his visit to Akbarpur was being verified.

He has been booked under the Unlawful Activities Act and efforts were on to take him on remand for further investigations, Gupta said.

In another breakthrough, Gupta said, police has unearthed the hideout of at least two militants in Shahjahanpur locality of Akbarpur.

The duo had taken on rent a room for Rs. 600 in the house of one Ram Asrey in April and left the place in May to again return in June, he said adding things recovered from the room, establish that, it had been used by the terrorists.

Among other things that have been recovered from the room is an half burnt driving licence issued in the name of Arshad Ali.

The license, issued in Amritsar, was used by militants to purchase a sim card from Sultanpur, which was used by militants to keep in touch with their accomplice, besides Dr. Khan, Gupta said.

He said the wrapper of the bags reportedly purchased from Lucknow by the militants to carry the weapons to the Ram Janmbhoomi complex, a polythene bag of Shama garments, Deoli Road, Khanpur Extension, Delhi and a big bag which might have been used to bring the weapons from Panipat were recovered from the room.

A torn hand sketch of a map of Ayodhya and newspapers of July 4 have also been found besides a kalava (holy thread), Gupta said. "It is suspected that the militants might have transferred the weapons in smaller bags in the room and moved to the Ram Janmbhoomi complex from there, Gupta said.

Details about the movement of the militants could not be verified from the neighbours as they had been using the backdoor while putting a lock on the front door. He said militants might have used another hideout across the river near their rented room.