5 suspected ‘terrorists’ arrested over major blast plot in Bengaluru

Five people have been arrested in Bengaluru for their alleged involvement in planning to carry out a blast in the city.

Cops from the Central Crime Branch (CCB) have nabbed five people from Karnataka capital Bengaluru on Wednesday on suspicion of being involved in terror-related activities. The persons have been identified as Sayed Suhel, Umar, Janid, Mudasir, and Jahid, news agency ANI reported.

CCB sleuths recovered several explosives and other materials from the suspects. (iStockphoto)

CCB officials said the five were planning to carry out a blast in the city. Officials also said all five suspects were jailed in connection with a 2017 murder case in the Bangalore Central Jail, where they came in contact with terrorists and began planning the explosion.

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"All five identified as Sayed Suhel, Umar, Janid, Mudasir, and Jahid, were accused in a 2017 murder case and were in Parappana Agrahara Central jail where they came in contact with terrorists," the CCB officials told ANI. “We are further looking into the matter,” they added.

Bengaluru Police Commissioner, B Dayananda said, “CCB has succeeded in tracking down the people who planned to commit acts of vandalism in Bangaluru city. Five accused have been arrested....Seven pistols, many live bullets, a walkie-talkie and other items were recovered from them. One of the accused who is absconding provided these weapons to those arrested to carry out certain subversive activities.”

B Dayananda further said that all the accused were involved in a 2017 murder case at Bengaluru's RT Nagar police limits. “All the accused including the one who is absconding were a part of a murder case in 2017. In Jail, they met Nazir, an accused in 2008 Bengaluru serial blasts and he seems to have radicalized these individuals.”

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CCB sleuths received information, owing to which a team traced the location of the suspects and arrested them. “The five suspected terrorists are from different areas of Karnataka's capital city, and were suspected to have made a meticulous plan to blast here,” officials stated. The case has been regisitered at Hebbal police station.

Former Karnataka CM and BJP leader Basavaraj Bommai said the case should be investigated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). “There is a big conspiracy. They wanted to do serial bomb blasts in Bengaluru. This case should be handed over to NIA,” he said.

Further investigation into the matter is underway and more details are awaited.

(With inputs from ANI)