Ahmedabad: The Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and Junagadh Police today brought Maulana Mufti Salman Azhari to ATS headquarters in the city after apprehending him from Mumbai on Sunday night.

Azhari was detained from his residence in Ghatkopar area of Mumbai by the Gujarat ATS with the assistance of the Maharashtra ATS and taken to the local Chiragnagar police chowki. Later, after obtaining the 2-day transit remand for Azhari, the Gujarat police brought him to Ahmedabad. Mufti Salman Azhari will be taken to Junagadh by a team change from here.

Mufti has been booked by Junagadh police after his provocative speech from a public meeting on January 31 went viral.  Azhari from Mumbai was invited as the speaker at the program for the de-addiction of the Muslim community at Narasimha Vidyalaya. Some excerpts of his provocative speech immediately went viral. The accused was booked under IPC sections 153A, 505, 188, 114.

Considering the seriousness of the case, the Gujarat ATS also took action. The ATS team reached Mumbai and, with the help of the Maharashtra ATS and local police, reached Salman Azhari’s residence in Ghatkopar and apprehended him. The information about the police nabbing him became viral on Azhari’s own social media account after which thousands of supporters laid siege to the Ghatkopar police station. There to disperse the crowd, Azhari stated, “No, I am not a criminal; I am brought here to assist in the investigation. I am ready to be arrested if that is my fate.”

In another development, Mumbai Police has registered a case against the mob that gathered outside Ghatkopar Police Station when Gujarat ATS brought Maulana Mufti Salman Azhari to the police station. The case has been registered under various sections of IPC including 353, 332, 333, 341, 336, and relevant sections of the Maharashtra Police Act. Three people have been held so far in the case, said the Mumbai police.

Mufti Azhari had 31st January in Junagadh said – “The last battle of Karbala is still left. There is silence for some time, then there will be noise. Today is the time of dogs, tomorrow will be our turn.” Later they started shouting “Labbaik ya Rasulullah” (We insist on being obedient to the Prophet of Islam) and the crowd also repeated it. DeshGujarat