BENGALURU: Sleuths of the Central Crime Branch (CCB) arrested five terror suspects from a residential complex on Sultanpalya Main Road near Mukarram Masjid at RT Nagar in the city on Tuesday. These suspects were allegedly radicalised at Parappana Agrahara Central Prison by a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative to carry out terror attacks in Bengaluru.
Seven country-made pistols, 45 rounds of ammunition, walkie-talkie sets, a dagger and 12 mobile phones have been recovered from them.
The arrested are Syed Suhel Khan (24), a resident of 2nd Cross, Sultanpalya Main Road; Mohammed Umar (29) of Kodigehalli; Jahid Tabrez (25) of Bhadrappa Layout; Syed Mudassir Pasha (28) of Dinnur Main Road; and Mohammed Faisal (30) of Pulakeshinagar.
They were arrested from the residence of Syed Suhel Khan. The other two terror suspects have been identified as T Nazeer alias Ummer Haji, accused No 1 who is at Parappana Agrahara Central Prison, and Junaid Ahmed (29), accused No 2, a resident of Kanakanagar in RT Nagar, who is said to be hiding in one of the Gulf countries.
The arrested were reportedly radicalised by T Nazeer, a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative, one of the accused in serial blasts in Bengaluru on July 25, 2008, that left one dead and 20 injured.
Terror suspects were held for the 2017 murder
The blasts took place at Madiwala bus station, Audugodi, Koramangala, Mysuru Road and other places in the city. One bomb was defused by a bomb squad the next day near Madiwala Checkpost. The five terror suspects were arrested by CCB teams headed by Naveen Kulkarni, Assistant Commissioner of Police, according to an FIR registered in Hebbal police station. A case has been registered against seven terror suspects, including the five arrested.
All the seven accused have been booked under Sections 18 (punishment for conspiracy) and 13 (punishment for unlawful activities) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) of 1967, conspiracy to commit offences (IPC 121A), punishment for criminal conspiracy (IPC 120B), waging or attempting to wage war or abetting waging of war against the Government of India (IPC121), and collecting arms, etc, with intention of waging war against the Government of India ( IPC122 ) along with Sections 25 and 3 of the Arms Act, 1959.
The CCB will seek custody of T Nazeer as he is accused No 1 in the case. The city police are also in touch with central agencies. The sleuths suspect Junaid Ahmed of supplying ammunition to the five arrested and funding them. He is suspected to have activated the terror module to create unrest.
“The five terror suspects along with another person were arrested in connection with a murder case registered in RT Nagar police station in 2017. They were sent to Parappana Agrahara Central Prison where they came in contact with the accused arrested in connection with the 2008 serial blasts case. The organisation to which the accused belong would be known once the investigation is completed,” B Dayananda, Bengaluru City Police Commissioner, said on Wednesday.
The five arrested, along with Junaid Ahmed, had abducted and killed one Noor Ahmed over a suspected business rivalry in RT Nagar police limits in 2017. After spending 18 months in jail as undertrials, the five accused along with Junaid Ahmed were released on bail. They were doing some menial jobs after their release.
DR G: hey were planning something big
Home Minister G Parameshwara on Wednesday said the five terror suspects were planning to attack vital installations in Bengaluru and other parts of the country. Speaking in the Assembly,he said the terrorists were planning something big.
Hand over probe to NIA, says Bommai
Former CM Basavaraj Bommai said Bengaluru is becoming a safe haven for terrorists and alleged that the terror suspects arrested by Bengaluru police on Wednesday had links with terror groups in other countries. He urged the state government to hand over the case to NIA as the terror suspects were planning to target Bengaluru. Bommai said the crime rate has increased in the last two months.