MADURAI: A judicial magistrate, on Friday, remanded in judicial custody four persons arrested by the city police in connection with the seizure of two pipe bombs.
In a shocking development, the police said that one of the accused, Abdulla, has confessed that the plan was to place the pipe bomb at the Hindu Front Conference scheduled to be held on January 26 at Palladam in Tiruppur district, in which leaders of the Front were participating.
The police recovered two live pipe bombs from a tailor shop in Alwarpuram, on Thursday. The bombs, measuring about 1.5 feet and with batteries attached, were ready for use when the police seized them. They were dismantled by the bomb detection and disposal squad.
Three persons Ukrapandi alias Abdul Rahman (43) of Gandhipuram 3rd Street, K Pudur, A Abdulla alias Nondikai Abdulla (30), of Vishwanatha Nagar, K Pudur, and J Kathar Sherif (28) of Ismailpuram, Munichalai, Madurai, were detained by the police in connection with the case. The K Pudur police arrested Abdulla on Thursday night.
On Thursday, a police team went to Cumbum and conducted a surprise raid in a house. On Thursday night, they detained one person, Syed (45) from Cumbum, and interrogated him. Syed was then taken to Madurai for further investigation. Sources in the police said that Syed had been in Madurai till 2011 from where he migrated to Cumbum.
The police team seized a lathe, some wires, a light and a few iron items from Syed’s house. However, they did not find any explosive material in the house.
On Friday, the police arrested Kathar, Abdul Rahman and Osama, who were arrested by the special team of Madurai along with Theni district police. All four were booked under the Explosive Substance Act and produced before Judicial Magistrate Tamilarasi at her Quarters. She remanded them to judicial custody until February 10.
The four were sent to the Madurai Central Prison. The police suspect that Osama played a vital role in making the pipe bomb, said sources.
Police sources also said that Abdulla used to be a member of various organisations such as the Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam and the Tamil Maanila Thowheed Jamath.