Bangalore: Family of terror suspect opposes arrest

mangaloretoday.com/ CNN-IBN

Bangalore, August 31, 2012: The father of one of the 11 men arrested by the Bangalore Police on Wednesday on charges of having links with terror groups Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and the HuJI and plotting attacks on MPs, MLAs and journalists, has said that the family wasn’t informed his arrest. The man worked as an engineer at the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

"We didn’t get any message of his arrest. The police did not give any information about his whereabouts. My elder son works at the DRDO. His name his Ajaz," said AM Mirza.

 

The Bangalore Police on Wednesday arrested 11 people, including a journalist with a popular English daily, for suspected terror links. Sources said the arrests were made as the eleven were planning to kill a prominent columnist with a Kannada newspaper, who had written an anti-Islam article, said Karnataka DGP Lalrokhuma Pachau.

Addressing a press conference, Commissioner of Police, Bangalore, JP Mirji said a foreign-made pistol and other incriminating evidence were recovered from them.

Mirji added that those arrested have links with Saudi Arabia-based LeT and HuJI and it is suspected that they have more supporters in other states. "Targeting individuals could have created communal tension," he said.

 

Matiur Rehman Siddiqui, who is a journalist and another suspect and MBA graduate Waheed Hussain, who was picked up from Hubli

 

Mirji said more details could not be revealed at the time as investigations were still on.

Sources say that the Uttar Pradesh Police provided their Bangalore counterparts the intelligence about the terror group, which has links with Indian Mujahideen. Sources add that the questioning of those arrested is on.

 

Others include  Shoiab, a scientist in DRO and Ejaz, an  MCA student.

At least three of the arrests were made in Hubli in north Karnataka.

Meanwhile, four suspected Indian Mujahideen activists involved in the 2010 Chinnaswamy Stadium blast case were detained in Bangalore on Thursday for questioning, police said.

Fifteen people were injured when two bombs exploded at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on April 18, 2010 on the eve of the Bangalore-Mumbai IPL semifinal match.

Speaking to reporters in Bangalore, Director General of Police Lalrokhuma Pachau said backgrounds of those picked up was being checked.