Bengaluru: The Central Crime Branch (CCB) apprehended five individuals today, suspected of plotting a terrorist attack in the capital of Karnataka. The suspects, identified as Suhail, Omar, Zahid, Mudasir, and Faisal, all hail from Bengaluru and are aged between 25 and 35. These individuals were previously jailed in relation to a murder case in 2017 and were released in 2019.
Another suspect, Junaid, from Bengaluru’s RT Nagar area is currently sought by the police. His exact location is unknown, but he is suspected to be living overseas and allegedly supplied arms and explosives to the arrested individuals.
During their interrogation, the suspects revealed connections to T Nazeer, a currently incarcerated individual with terror charges against him. The Bengaluru Police Commissioner, Dayanand B, stated that the five individuals were radicalized by Nazeer. The overseas individual, along with the accused, were involved in the 2017 murder case and provided them with weapons for terrorist activities.
Authorities have also seized explosives, guns, and daggers from the suspects. In an ongoing effort, Bengaluru Police is working with central agencies to locate and apprehend Junaid.
The discovery of this planned attack has raised concerns about the radicalization of prisoners in Karnataka. There are growing fears that these correctional facilities could potentially serve as incubators for terrorism. Nazeer, implicated in the 2008 serial blast case in Bengaluru, is among those incarcerated. Similarly, Mohammad Shariq, a key suspect in a cooker blast case in Mangaluru last year, is believed to have been radicalized in Belagavi prison by another terror suspect connected to the Hyderabad bomb blast case.
