KOCHI: The Internal Security Investigative Team (ISIT) of the Kerala Police on Saturday arrested a key accused in the 2008 Bangalore bomb blast case, at the Kozhikode International Airport.
P A Raisal, an aide of Indian Mujahideen activist Thadiyantavide Nazeer who is accused in many terror-related cases in Kerala and Karnataka, was arrested by a team led by Superintendent of Police (ISIT) Sam Christy Daniel.
The police had been searching for Raisal for the past three years. According to Sam Christy, Raisal was nabbed after a lookout notice was issued at all the airports in the country.
“Raisal and four others were accused of stealing detonators from a shop at Kuruppumpady, near Kochi, for making the explosives used for the Bangalore bomb blast. He allegedly fled to Qata in 2009, immediately after the blast. After that, we issued a preventive detention order and lookout notice against him, which were renewed every year,” Sam Christy said, and added that the ISIT would seek Raisal’s custody for interrogation. The arrested person was produced before the Kothamangalam Magistrate, and was remanded in the Muvattupuzha sub-jail for 14 days.
Raisal is also an accused in the case related to the murder attempt on Rahim Pookkadassery, in which Thadiyantavide Nazeer is the prime accused. Spiritual Movement of India leader Rahim Pookkadassery was murdered by a group of persons at Kakkanad in January 2008. The police expect Raisal to provide vital information that could lead to the arrest of more persons involved in this crime, including K P Sabir alias Ayub, Mohammed Azhar and P P Yusuf.