INDIAN INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE ATTACK: TRAIL GOES

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 CHENNAI 000802 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DS/IP/SA FOR JOHN LEAZIER DS/DSS/ITA FOR STEVEN CAPELLI DS/DSS/OSAC FOR BLAIR JOHANNSSEN NEW DELHI AND MUMBAI FOR RSO E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PTER PGOV PINR ASEC CASC OVIP IN SUBJECT: INDIAN INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE ATTACK: TRAIL GOES COLD REF: (A) 05 CHENNAI 2901, (B) CHENNAI 00017 ¶1. SUMMARY: (SBU) Four months after a gunman opened fire at the Indian Institute of Science (IISC) at Bangalore, the assailant remains at large. While Karnataka police officially blame the Jammu and Kashmir based Lashkar e- Tayyiba (LeT) for the attack, in private they speculate that the attacker could be from one of India's northern states or is a local. The dismantling of a LeT cell based on the interrogation of a suspect in the December 28 attack may have prevented a follow-up attack. In the aftermath of the shooting, Karnataka police have established a new police zone in Bangalore's information technology corridor and initiated a surveillance program of mosques in sensitive parts of the state. END SUMMARY -------------- -------------- IISC ATTACK: BANGALORE POLICE YET TO CAPTURE GUNMAN -------------- -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Four months after the December 28, 2005 attack on the Indian Institute of Science at Bangalore, city police are still seeking those responsible (Ref A). Initial openness by law enforcement officials about the progress of the investigation has now been replaced by an unwillingness to share details about the case. Bangalore Police Commissioner Ajay Kumar Singh at a meeting told Post, "These are issues that cannot be discussed." Kishore Chandra, Additional Director General of Police Intelligence (ADGP I) Karnataka, who handled the initial investigation, however, told Post that the trail had gone cold (Ref B). ¶3. (SBU) Karnataka Police officially state that investigations indicate the attack was carried out by a module of the Jammu and Kashmir based Lashkar e-Tayyiba. "That is the line we are pursuing," B.S. Sial, Director General of Police, Karnataka told Post. But ADGP I Chandra now believes that Islamic terrorists from India's northern states or perhaps a local terrorist cell carried out the attack (Ref B). Subash Bharani, Additional Director General of Police Law and Order (ADG LO), endorsed Chandra's supposition, speculating that the attackers came from across Karnataka's northern border. -------------- KARNATAKA POLICE DISMANTLE LeT CELL -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Interrogation of Abdul Rehman, alleged operations Chief of LeT in south India, led to the arrest of four other operatives in Karnataka (Ref B). Mehboob Ibrahim, age 35, a trained fabrication mechanic turned mullah of Guledagudda in Bagalkot District in north Karnataka, was arrested on January 17, 2006 and police allegedly seized from him incriminating documents and explosives. Nizamuddin, age 24, and Noorulla Khan, 25, both of Chintamani in Kolar district of Karnataka were arrested on January 25, 2006 at Hesarghatta, a Bangalore suburb. Police seized from them a country (homemade) pistol, bombs hidden in lunch pails and detonators. On February 12, 2006, Chan Pasha, a forty seven year old clothing store owner was arrested for allegedly operating a hawala system that funneled money from Saudi Arabia to operatives in India. Pasha allegedly met Rehman in Saudi Arabia where the latter operated a business. "We prevented a follow on attack in January 2006," ADGP I Chandra told Post. -------------- --- ARRESTED LeT CELL MEMBERS AHL-E-HADEES ADHERENTS -------------- --- ¶5. (SBU) All of the suspects arrested so far are adherents of Ahl-e-Hadees, a sect in the Salafi tradition CHENNAI 00000802 002 OF 002 of Islam. The sect has a following among some educated, urban Muslim youth in search of jobs. Through a network of the sect's adherents in the Gulf, mullahs in Ahl-e- Hadees mosques often secure jobs for young members. While most youth view membership primarily as a passport to personal economic improvement, some fall prey to the group's Jihad ideology. Ahl-e-Hadees remains a minority group among Karnataka Muslims. The majority of Karnataka's Muslim community follows the Deobandhi tradition, a synthesis of Hinduism and Islam. Roshen Baig, a former Karnataka Home Minister and senior Muslim Congress leader, told Post that a lack of support for strident Hindu-nationalism among the Hindu majority helps to keep militant Islam in check in Karnataka. -------------- -------------- POLICE RESPONSE: REORGANIZATION AND MORE SURVEILLANCE -------------- -------------- ¶6. (SBU) The attack's aftermath brought a fiscal windfall for Karnataka Police. An exclusive police zone covering the Electronic City-Whitefield suburb of Bangalore which hosts the majority of companies in the city's famed knowledge industry was approved by the state government. An expanded quick reaction team and a doubling in the size of the city police force are other approved proposals. Karnataka's ADG LO Bharani told Post that surveillance of mosques suspected of harboring extremists is providing actionable information. Former Home Minister Baig remains skeptical, however, saying that officers often pocket the money meant to pay for informants. -------------- USG ASSISTANCE: JUST GIVE US THE INFORMATION -------------- ¶7. (SBU) COMMENT: Despite a cold trail, Karnataka police are reluctant to seek USG assistance. Top state police officials with Cold War mindsets remain suspicious of USG intentions. "Give us the information and we will act," Karnataka DGP Sial told Post. Post will continue to encourage greater cooperation from Karnataka police officials. END COMMENT. HOPPER