BENGALURU: A suspected terrorist of Jamat-ul-Mujahidin Bangladesh (JMB), who purportedly supplied Improvised Explosive Devices (IED), has been detained by the sleuths of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) from Ramanagara district on Sunday evening.
It is said that the suspect is allegedly involved in Burdwan blast in West Bengal in 2014 and planting of explosives at Bodh Gaya in Bihar in January early this year.
Muneer Sheikh, aged around 25 years, who was living in a rented house at Trup Lane Road in Ramanagara, is the suspect, who is being interrogated by the NIA officials. It is learnt that Sheikh was in possession of gelatin powder and other material used in preparing IEDs and sketches of some important places including historical temples. They have been seized along with several mobile phones and a tab.
Sources in the Ramanagara police said a team of NIA officials along with the Internal Security Division (ISD) staff arrived on Sunday night in Ramanagara.
“They asked for support from the local police and raided a house located on Trup Lane Road. They detained Muneer, searched the entire houses and seized some articles and left for Bengaluru,” an official said.
A senior official in the ISD said that the NIA picked up Muneer based on a specific information. “They have picked him up for questioning in connection with the Burdwan blast in West Bengal in 2014 and planting of explosives at Bodh Gaya in Bihar in January early this year. We are just assisting them in the investigation and they are yet to formalise his arrest. He has been living at various places in Karnataka since 2014,” the official said.
Muneer was being questioned by the NIA senior officials who had arrived from Hyderabad till late evening on Monday, at an undisclosed location near Madiwala.
The NIA has also arrested Abdul Karim alias Chhota and Mustafizur Rehman alias Shaheen, both residents of West Bengal, on Sunday evening, from Malappuram in Kerala in connection with the planting of IED at Bodh Gaya complex on January 19.
It is not yet known whether Muneer hailed from West Bengal or Bangladesh.
Rafiq Khan, son of Amir Khan who had rented out a house to Muneer, told reporters that Muneer was staying in the rented house from the last two months along with his wife and two children. “He went on bicycle selling sarees. He left home at 9 am and returned by 5.30 in the evening. We never suspected his behaviour and don’t know why the police have picked him up.”
“We had asked for Rs. 50,000 as advance and Rs. 5,000 rent. As he had not paid the advance amount fully, we had not entered into an agreement. He had given a copy of his Aadhaar card for the agreement, but had taken it from us a week ago saying he had to book a train ticket,” Khan added.