NIA takes over B'luru terror case, to take custody of five terrorists

Bengaluru, Nov 2 (IANS) Three months after the Karnataka Police busted the alleged terror plot in Bengaluru and arrested five men, the case has been taken over by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), sources said on Thursday.

The police had recovered five live grenades, seven country-made pistols, 45 bullets, walkie-talkies, 12 mobile and sharp edged weapons from the accused. The accused were arrested on July 19.

The CCB wing had arrested Syed Suhail Khan, Mohammad Faizal Rabbani, Mohammad Umar, Muddassir Pasha and Zahid Tabrez in July and busted a terror module operating in the state capital. They had seized a large cache of explosives, weapons and equipment.

The officers had launched a hunt for Mohammad Junaid, who operated the suspected terrorists. Junaid is suspected to be hiding in a foreign country.

Junaid was conspiring to carry out terrorist activities in the IT city of Bengaluru. He is absconding for four years and is also the main accused in the kidnap and murder case of one Noor Ahmad in 2017.

The police investigating the case also found the terror group having links with the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). They further found that T. Nazir, a terror suspect in the 2008 Bengaluru serial blasts lodged in the Central Prison of Bengaluru, had brainwashed the arrested youths.

He delivered orders to the accused persons and controlled the gang of terrorists through Mohammad Junaid, the prime kingpin who is suspected to be operating from the border areas of Afghanistan. Nazir, hailing from Kerala, allegedly gave instructions from the prison.

The arrested suspected terrorists had come in contact with Nazir, while they were in prison through Junaid. Nazir had brainwashed them and linked Mohammad Junaid with terror outfit LeT. Junaid later further brainwashed the arrested suspected terrorists and prepared them to carry out a major terror strike in Bengaluru.

The probe has also revealed that Nazir helped Junaid to cross the Indian border. The sources explained that Nazir will be taken into custody by the NIA with other suspects. All the arrested accused have confessed that they were tutored to carry out terror strikes in the central prison by Nazir, sources explained.      

The police have gathered information on Junaid having links in Baku city, the capital of Azerbaijan. The probe has revealed that he went to the Middle East on original passport in 2021. The police had not seized his passport as the murder case in which he was involved did not have any international connection. The Karnataka Police have issued a lookout notice to track Junaid.