TIRUPPUR: A Bangladeshi national was arrested from Tiruppur on Thursday, and investigations have revealed that he had stayed with members of Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), a banned terrorist outfit.
Sources said the suspect, 36-year-old M Sanjan Chandar Barman, was staying with two members of ABT in Ahmedabad city. He had fled Ahmedabad when the Assam Anti-Terror Squad arrested his roommates a few months ago.
Speaking to TNIE, police commissioner S Lakshmi said the man was arrested within two days of his arrival in Tiruppur. “We have arrested him as he was staying without proper documents. The Assam state police is investigating his background.”
A senior police officer said Barman belongs to the Hindu religion and specialises in making sweaters. He has been in India for the last 18 years, staying in different cities with fake documents. “Until six months ago, he was working in a garment company in Ahmedabad and staying in a rented room with two ABT members.”
The officer said when the Anti-Terror Squad arrested the ABT members, Barman fled the spot. The Assam state police that were on a search for him came to know about his arrival in Tiruppur and alerted the local police.
A police officer, who investigated Barman in person said, “He claimed he stayed with the duo only because they are from the same country. But the Assam state police have the records of his frequent phone conversations with them.”
The officer said Barman’s sisters had converted to Islam and he often visited Bangladesh by crossing the borders illegally. “It is not sure whether he has any direct connection with ABT,” he added.