Daijiworld Media - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Aug 8: National investigation Agency (NIA) and other investigators have subjected Kausar alias Muneer Sheikh alias Mohammed Jahidul Islam (38), a terrorist having links with Jamaat-Ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), who was arrested from Ramanagara here on the night of Sunday August 5, to intense questioning. Reportedly, they have been able to extract several details during this questioning.

Kausar, a prominent JMB leader, has been involved with the expansion of the operations of his outfit in Bangladesh and different regions of India. He also had established contact with Indian Mujahideen (IM) led by Riaz Bhatkal who is currently sheltered in Pakistan. Kausar, who happens to be an important link between JMB and IM, was mainly engaged expansion of terrorist network in India, the officials have realized.

Kausar

Kausar had planned the blast at Bodh Gaya in Bihar on January 19 this year with the help of his gang. Sometime after Buddhist religious leader, Dalai Lama, visited Bodh Gaya and left for Mahabodhi prayer centre, a few low intensity bombs had exploded in the area. The low intensity bombs, timers used in them, and detonators used bear testimony to the fact that JMB and IM had established links. During the investigation, it has also come light that these bombs were supplied from Kerala by IM led by Riaz Bhatkal.

On the basis of statement made by Kausar, NIA officials arrested Adil alias Asadulla (29) from Murshidabad, West Bengal, from the auto stand near Cantonment railway station here on Tuesday night. He happens to be a close associate of Kausar. Three cell phones and books relating to explosives were seized from his possession. He too has been living in Karnataka since the last two years. Two more associates of Kausar have gone missing.

Teams of investigators from Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, New Delhi and West Bengal rushed to the city on Tuesday and subjected Kausar to sustained questioning relating to cases being handled by them.