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2008 Bengaluru blasts plotter lived under guise of farmer, say cops
The CCB made a significant breakthrough on Wednesday with the arrest of five suspected terrorists, allegedly acting on the instructions of Junaid Ahmed, the prime accused currently abroad.
The investigations of the Central Crime Branch (CCB) of the Bengaluru Police into the five suspected terrorists arrested in the city last week have led to a discovery that T Nazir, the mastermind behind the 2008 blasts case and a native of Kerala, had been living in Karnataka’s Kodagu district under the guise of a ginger cultivator before the attacks, officials close to the developments said on Sunday.
The CCB made a significant breakthrough on Wednesday with the arrest of five suspected terrorists, allegedly acting on the instructions of Junaid Ahmed, the prime accused currently abroad.
During their investigation, the CCB sleuths uncovered that Junaid was receiving guidance from Tadiyantavide Nazir, also known as T Nazir.
T Nazir, a native of Kerala and the former South India commander for the Pakistan-based terror organisation, Lashker-E-Taiba (LeT), was arrested in connection with the Bengaluru blasts in 2008.
The terror attack occurred on July 25, 2008, at 1:20 pm when a bomb exploded at the Madiwala bus depot in Bengaluru. Subsequently, a series of bomb blasts rattled the city until 2:35 pm, resulting in one fatality and injuries to more than 20 people.
On Friday, DGP (Prisons) Malini Krishnamurthy issued an order to investigate how the individuals accused in a murder case were influenced and drawn into terrorism by the arrested terrorist Nazir at Parappana Agrahara Jail.
The authorities are looking into the details of how these arrested people established contact with the LeT.
On Sunday, a CCB officer, on condition of anonymity, told HT that during the team’s investigation into Nazir’s background and his potential link to the terrorists arrested on Wednesday, it was revealed that he had been living in Kodagu’s Hosathota village under the guise of a ginger cultivator.
“We are trying to find Nazir’s connection with the terror suspects and prime accused Junaid Ahmed. We found that he was living in Kodagu. In 2005, he had availed five acres of land from former taluk panchayat member M A Azeez for ginger cultivation. For nearly three years, he remained hidden in a makeshift shed on the land, rarely interacting with others and focusing on reading books,” the officer said.
M A Nazeer, the landowner’s son, expressed astonishment at learning about T Nazir’s true identity, stating, “We never knew that he could be a fugitive terror suspect. In our district, it is common for Keralites to lease land for ginger cultivation and stay for six months to a year until the harvest.”
In addition, the officer said despite being incarcerated in Parappana Agrahara Central Prison since 2010, Nazir was enjoying preferential treatment.
The officer stated, “It has come to the notice of the police that Parappana Agrahara jail authorities were providing royal treatment to T Nazir. He was involved in selling clothes, dry fruits, and sweets to other prisoners at inflated prices. Additionally, there are rumours that he amassed substantial wealth through these activities. There are also allegations that he was converting Hindus within the prison while engaging in trade and business.”
“Nazir’s influence within the prison extended to targeting other inmates. He reportedly encouraged them to shave off their moustaches and grow beards, and he established a rule that Muslim accused from Kerala must first seek him out upon arrival in the prison. Furthermore, Nazir managed to maintain communication with Junaid, indirectly giving instructions to other accused individuals,” the officer summed up.
