Five terror suspects arrested in Bengaluru with weapons, ammunition; Bommai says case should be handed over to NIA
Jul 19, 2023
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], July 19 : Seven country-made pistols, live bullets, walkie-talkie sets and dagger were among the arms and ammunition recovered from five terror suspects who had been radicalised to carry out attacks and were arrested by Bengaluru Police.
Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda said on Wednesday that the preliminary interrogation shows that five accused were radicalised by one of the main accused in the 2008 Bengaluru serial blast case.
"Five accused have been arrested. The preliminary interrogation indicates that five accused, along with another person who is absconding and who is likely to be abroad now, they were involved in a 2017 murder case. And when they were inside the jail regarding this case, they came in contact with Nazeer, one of the of the main accused in 2008 serial blast case,” he said.
“Nazeer seems to have radicalised these individuals, especially the one who is now absconding and the person who is presently abroad, he has activated this module and he has supplied these weapons and other equipment for the purpose of carrying out certain subversive activities in Bengaluru city,” he added.
The officer said that based on credible information, the Crime Branch has been successful in pre-empting and preventing a possible subversive activity in Bengaluru city.
Earlier today, Central Crime Branch (CCB) arrested the five suspected terrorists.
Officials had said the five suspected terrorists are from different areas of Karnataka's capital city, and were suspected to have made a meticulous plan for cause blast.
"The five have been identified as Sayed Suhel, Umar, Janid, Mudasir, and Jahid, were accused in a 2017 murder case and were in Parappana Agrahara Central jail,” a Crime Branch official said earlier.
Former Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said the case should be handed over to National Investigation Agency.
"There is a big conspiracy. They wanted to do serial bomb blasts in Bengaluru. This case should be handed over to NIA (National Investigation Agency)."
Former Home Minister Araga Jnanendra said he had spoken to some officials and congratulated crime branch for their work.
He said that anti-national forces had been tackled under the BJP rule and said the new government in the state “must nip them in the bud".
