Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)
Bengaluru, Aug 7: A Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) terrorist, who had been hiding at various places including Kolar and Ramanagara since the last four years, and who was planning to undertake destructive activities at various parts of the state, Muneer Sheikh alias Kausar (36), was arrested from Ramanagara near here on Monday August 6 in a joint operation launched by National Investigation Agency (NIA) with cooperation from other central and state intelligence departments.
It has come to the notice of the agencies that he had planned to set off blasts at Bodh Gaya and for that purpose, transported explosives there. It also has transpired that he was planning similar explosions at different spots of the country.
Kausar was in constant contact with Kerala-based people involved with terrorist activities. As per information, the places he targeted included leading temples, mosques, and other prayer centres. Six SIM cards, two cell phones, a tablet, and guillotine sticks to set off explosions were seized from his possession. The investigating officials have taken him to a secret spot for questioning, it is gathered.
Muneer wanted to give rise to conditions to create civil war. He was a member of JMB. He is a native of West Bengal. He took part in setting off bomb blast in a house belonging to Trinamool Congress leader at Burdwan there on October 2, 2014. He was staying there on rent, and during the time he was trying to manufacture bombs there, a blast had gone off, which made his terrorist activities public. In this case, Muneer was named as 24th accused.
Muneer came to Kolar in 2014 along with family, got job in a private factory, but changed his residence often to hoodwink the police. Recently, he began to stay in the residence of a private factory owner at Ramanagara on rent, and introduced himself as cloth merchant. He had paid advance amount of Rs 50,000. It is said that the rent agreement was to be entered into by the owner of the house with Muneer on Monday.