Bhubaneswar, Dec. 20: Abdul Rahman, who was arrested by Delhi police on Wednesday for his alleged links with al Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), had been asked to recruit people for the terror organisation, police said today.

Police commissioner R.P. Sharma said Mohammed Asif, another AQIS member arrested by the Delhi police from Uttar Pradesh, had met Rahman in Bangalore recently.

Before the meeting, Asif had received a message from a Pakistani al Qaida co-ordinator in which he had been asked to discuss the matter of recruitment with Rahman, the police said.

"We are further investigating the matter," said Sharma.

Police sources suspect that Rahman was imparting religious training to the recruits. The cleric might have recruited as many as 20 youths for the terror outfit, police sources said, adding that they were looking to nab four of them who had completed their training with Rahman in June and July.

A police team would be visiting Jharkhand to verify the purpose of Rahman's frequent visits to Ranchi and Jamshedpur. Rahman had come under the scanner of Jharkhand police a few months ago for allegedly making provocative speeches in Ranchi.

The team would also investigate whether there was any indoctrination of the students at Rahman's madarsa at Bilateruan near Tangi.

Another police team might visit Delhi tomorrow to share information with the Delhi special cell, which is interrogating Rahman.

Security at the Aviation Research Centre at Charbatia near Choudwar was beefed up following Rahman's arrest. The police had also intensified patrolling in the nearby areas, as the madarsa run by Rahman lies in close proximity to the defence installation.