NIA arrests absconding accused in Bengaluru riots of August last year
Riot accused suspected of ties with Indian terror group that is linked to ISIS
BENGALURU:
The city police are probing the possible role of the banned al-Hind terror organization in last week’s DJ Halli and KG Halli riots in the city.
Samiuddin (37), and Wajid, president of the JDS unit in the Pulikeshinagar assembly constituency, who have been arrested, are being interrogated by the CCB in this connection.
The al-Hind terror organization was set up in India two years ago as a branch of al-Ummah in Tamil Nadu. In recent times, it has been behind many ‘agitations’. The group is a supporter of the Islamic State in Syria (ISIS), which continues to be active globally despite suffering heavy defeats to a US-backed coalition.
Samiuddin was in constant contact with SDPI’s Bengaluru ‘district secretary’ Muzamil Pasha, the main accused in the riots. He was spotted at the DJ Halli police station along with Muzamil Pasha on the night of the riots. He was arrested on the basis of mobile calls made on the day of the riots. According to the investigators, Musamil had spoken about Samyuddin’s role.
Samyuddin was also in contact with Irfan, Wasim, Wasim Sharif and others who were arrested in the 2016 murder case of RSS worker Rudresh in Shivajinagar. He would frequently visit the accused at the Parappana Agrahara Central Prison.
Al-Ummah links
A few months back, officials of the NIA had arrested members of al-Ummah who had been hiding in Soladevanahalli and Sudgaduntepalya in Bengaluru, and recovered explosives from the hideout in Soladevananahalli. Samyuddin is known to have been in contact with these suspects.
According to the investigators, Samiuddin claimed that he was trying to ‘stop’ people from setting fire to vehicles during the riots, as well as trying to ‘protect’ persons caught in the violence.
President of the JDS unit in Pulakeshinagar assembly constituency, Wajid has founded the ‘Tipu Tiger Alfat Trust’ and is its president. On the day of the riots, he made many calls to persons who are now riot accused. He was also in contact with Muzamil Pasha and Samyuddin.
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