In a joint operation on Monday, officials from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Central agencies picked up a 38-year-old terror suspect, believed to be a senior member of the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh, who has been living in Ramanagaram on the outskirts of Bengaluru for the past three months.
According to NIA, the accused Mohammed Jahidul Islam alias Kausar alias Munna alias Mizan alias Boma Miyan, is wanted in the Burdwan blast case. He is also said to be the mastermind in the Bodh Gaya blast case and several terror cases in Bangladesh.
He is a native of Jharkhand, and was on the radar of the Central agencies for some time. He was staying in a rented house in Rahmaniya Nagar in Ramanagaram along with his wife and children, and worked as a cloth merchant. During a search operation of his house, officials recovered a laptop containing images of tourists spots, mosques, and temples and other installations in and around Bengaluru, said sources. According to the NIA, traces of explosives were also recovered during the search.
The police also questioned the landlord, Rafiqh Khan, who told the police that Mohammed Jahidul claimed that he was from Delhi. He rented the house after paying an advance of ₹50,000 and agreed to pay ₹5,000 as monthly rent. He had also produced a copy of Aadhaar card as ID proof.
A low-intensity blast was reported at a kitchen set up at the Kaalchintan Ground in Bodh Gaya on January 19, causing panic among devotees gathered to hear the Dalai Lama’s discourse. It is alleged that on Mohammed Jahidul’s directions, Mustafizur Rehman alias Shahin, had arranged and assembled all the explosives for the incident, said the NIA. Mohammed Jahidul has been sent in transit remand for five days by a special NIA court in Bengaluru, and will be produced before the special NIA Court, Patna, by the agency.