Agencies
Bangalore, Dec 3:In a prize catch for security agencies, wanted terrorist Thadiyantavide Nazir, allegedly involved in the 2005 IISc Bangalore attack and in sending Muslim youth from Kerala for militant training in PoK, was arrested along the Indo-Bangla border in Meghalaya.
As reported earlier, Nazir had sneaked into Bangladesh to lead a commando squad to attack the American and Indian missions in Dhaka on November 26, the day India paid tributes to the martyrs of the Mumbai attack.
A native of Kannur, Nazir was picked by the Rapid Action Battalion of the Bangladesh police while crossing the Bibir Bazar border at Comilla on November 6. The arrest, which apparently came following a joint operation by the BSF, Central security agencies and the Bangladesh Rifles, is expected to solve many terror cases including the 2005 attack at the Indian Institute of Sciences (IISc) in Bangalore that left an IIT professor dead.
Sources said the “handover” was made to appear as an “arrest near Meghalaya” as there is no formal extradition treaty between India and Bangladesh.
According to the confessions made by Sarfraz Nawaz, the former SIMI leader who was tracked by the RAW in Oman before being picked up there a few months ago, Nazir and he were entrusted with the task of setting off blasts in Chennai and Bangalore. Both of them belonged to Kannur. They received orders from Wali, the LeT handler in the Gulf. Nawaz told the police that since they were short of manpower, they opted to restrict their “activity” to Bangalore which would also grab more attention since a BJP government ruled the state.
The duo was being interrogated by a combined team of the BSF and Central security agencies, sources said. The Bangalore police had already sent a team to take Nazir into their custody.
State Director General and Inspector General of Police Ajai Kumar Singh confirmed the arrest of two Lashkar terrorists, though it was not clear whether they were connected to the IISc attack or the Bangalore serial blasts.
On Tuesday, Meghalaya police contacted and informed the State police about the arrest of the two terrorists and their involvement in terror attacks in Karnataka, Ajay said. “We are sending our team. Legally we have set the ball rolling to get them on body warrant.” However, T Nazir was one of the accused in the IISc attack.
According to the sources, there was an intelligence report to suggest that Lashkar commander Abdullah had been in touch with Nazir and the duo were on a recruitment spree under instructions from Pakistan’s ISI. Kerala’s Malappuram district was chosen as one of the targets in South India.
Nazir and Nawaz conducted a recce of eight potential spots in Bangalore before the serial blasts and finally settled to plant bombs at six locations. These places included Hosur Road, Madivala, Koramangala, Public Utility building on M G Road, the Vidhana Soudha, Cubbon Park and Kalasipalya. The explosives and timers were brought to Bangalore from Kannur by road.
Nazir was a close aide of PDP chairman Abdul Nasser Madhani who left his camp when Madhani refused to be drawn into terror activities after his jailing. Nazir managed to evade arrest and sneaked into Bangladesh when the police began to look out for him in connection with various cases in Kerala. Kerala Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said the state government would approach the Centre to hand over Nazir who is wanted in Kerala in connection with a dozen terror and criminal cases.
Union Home Secretary G K Pillai said two suspected Lashker operatives were detained along the Indo-Bangla border in Meghalaya and “we are trying to find out their antecedents and links and their activities.” The duo was being interrogated by a combined team of the BSF and central security agencies, the sources said, adding Bangalore police had already sent a team to take Nazir’s custody.