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CCB takes into custody prime accused in 2008 Bengaluru bomb blast case
The accused is currently lodged in the central jail Parappana Agrahara and has been taken into custody in connection with the recent terror module uncovered in Bengaluru.
Bengaluru: Central Crime Branch on Thursday took the custody of accused number one and main accused in the 2008 Bengaluru serial blast case T Nazir. The accused is currently lodged in the central jail Parappana Agrahara and has been taken into custody in connection with the recent terror module uncovered in Bengaluru.
On July 19, the Bengaluru Police arrested five men - Syed Suhel Khan (24), Mohammed Umar (29), Zahid Tabrez (25), Syed Mudassir Pasha (28), and Mohammed Faisal (30) - suspected to be part of the terror module.
The raid yielded significant evidence, including seven country-made pistols, 45 live rounds of ammunition, walkie-talkie sets, a dagger, and 12 mobile phones. Furthermore, the Central Crime Branch (CCB) discovered four hand grenades at one of the suspects’ residences.
The suspects, previously employed as mechanics and drivers, were initially arrested in 2017 by the RT Nagar police for the kidnapping and murder of a businessman named Noor Ahmad, the officer said.
While serving their sentences at the Parappana Agrahara Central Prison, they reportedly established connections with T Nazir, a member of the terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and an accused in the 2008 Bengaluru serial bomb blast case.
“The role of Nazeer was to brainwash them. He ideologically motivated them, but the actual planning was carried out by Junaid. However, we want to find out if Nazir had put Junaid in touch with any of his earlier associates and if any logistical help was provided by Nazir’s former associates,” said a senior CCB officer.
T Nazir, a native of Kerala and the former South India commander for the Pakistan-based terror organization Lashker E Taiba, 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 leaving more than 20 people injured.
The police department who have not been able to track down Junaid had tried questioning people with whom Junaid was in contact before the arrest. “We have kept a constant watch on his family and a girlfriend and we have questioned them as well, but there is no breakthrough. Although we suspect he is in Dubai, we require more evidence. We believe we will able to get any leads from the interrogation of Nazir, since both of them were close during their time in prison,” the officer added.
