On Saturday, STF sources said they were in touch with their Gujarat counterparts to locate the mobile number mentioned in the email. The STF had earlier said that the number (+91 9824907080) was from somewhere in the western state. "We are in constant touch with Gujarat police. If necessary, will visit the state for probe," STF sources added.
Lawyer Ajoy Hazarika, 32, had filed an FIR with the STF here on Tuesday, requesting for investigation about the origins of the email that had been sent to him on October 15. "I am acting on behalf of a group looking to recruit believers to attend military training in Afghanistan, and to continue the holy jihad. After martyrdom, your families will be compensated with $5 million," the email had stated.
However, STF sleuths are yet to trace the Internet Protocol address of the mail's sender. STF additional SP Manabendra Roy told TOI, "Our probe is on to trace the IP address. But we are yet to make any breakthrough."
The email, with its subject as "military recruitment and training in Afghanistan" had been sent to Hazarika from the ID buygloballeads@aol.com. The sender had asked the "devout believer" to contact him via one of the six e-mail addresses provided in the mail. It had also given a mobile number and a website: http://www.buygloballeads.com.
When checked by TOI, the website proved to be an internet marketing company which specializes in high quality email leads in Net business opportunities. The company, however, has no specific address.
The SFT had registered a case after Hazarika's FIR. He is also the coordinator of Consumers' Legal Protection Forum, a city-based NGO.