BENGALURU: The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is probing the Burdwan blast case, has found that suspected members of the Jamaat-Ul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) were conspiring to carry out terrorist acts in parts of Karnataka.
NIA officials, who had arrested suspected JMB member Habib-ur-Rahman, had recovered five fabricated hand grenades, one-timer device, three electric circuits, suspected explosive substance, different components for making IEDs/rockets and other incriminating materials from a house in Chikkabanavara in Soladevanahalli police station limits on Sunday. A live 9mm ball ammunition and improvised grenade shells were also recovered from the house.
Investigations, so far, have revealed that JMB members — Rahman and his associates — were ready to carry out terror attacks. “It is clear that the recovered materials, while not directly related to the NIA case, have clearly been procured and manufactured as part of a conspiracy to perpetrate acts of terror. Inquiry into the matter has revealed that the conspiracy to commit the terrorist act, including procurement of explosives/fabrication of IEDs, has taken place primarily in Bengaluru,” an NIA official stated in his complaint.
A press release by the NIA stated that the grenades were fabricated as a part of conspiracy to commit terrorist acts in different parts of the state. During the questioning of Rahman in connection with the Burdwan blast case, he had revealed that he had visited an accommodation in Chikkabanawara on two occasions, where his associates and suspected members of the proscribed outfit — Sajjad Ali, Kador Kazi, Najir Sheikh alias Patla Anas, Ataur Rehman alais Nazrul Islam alias Mota Anas, Asif Ikbal alias Nadim, Arif of Bangladesh and Jahidul Islam alias Kausar had resided, for some time in 2018.
Rahman was taken to the same house on Sunday and the house owner was questioned. He reportedly said that he had rented out a room on the ground floor of his premises to Aijul Mondal and Rafikul Miya, both hailing from West Bengal. He further stated that apart from these two persons, two other young men were also residing in room, an arrangement he had agreed to.
“Several other persons used to visit these persons and even stay over for several days. They stayed in his house for two months beginning from May 2018 and despite having paid an advance of `15,000, they left the room suddenly without giving any notice or information regarding their future accommodation in the month of July,” the owner told the NIA sleuths.
The owner also disclosed that the tenants had left behind a lot of material, including equipment in the room. When the NIA officials examined the material, they turned out to be incriminating items related to the manufacture of explosives. The owner has also identified photos of Kausar, Najir and Ata-ur-Rehman, sources added.
Following the complaint, Soladevanahalli police have booked the accused under sections of IPC. The case will soon be taken over by NIA.