National Investigation Agency nabs JMB terrorist duo in connection with Khagragarh blast
National Investigation Agency (NIA) has nabbed two persons accused in the Khagragarh blast case during October 2014. The duo has been remanded to 14 days NIA custody on Tuesday. According to sources, NIA recently got a tip about two persons identified as Kadar Kazi and Habibur Rehman Shaikh, who were seen multiple times in Arambag’s Dongal area. It was assumed that they might be hiding somewhere at Dongal. Working on the tip-off, sleuths identified the duo in a construction site, where they were working as masons to avoid being detected. They were kept under strict vigil round-the-clock for a few days to be sure about their identity.
On Monday night, NIA with assistance from Arambag police station, raided the construction site and arrested Kazi and Shaikh. Later the room where they used to stay was searched and several watches and wires were seized. Last year, NIA sleuths managed to get hold of Kausar from Bengaluru, who is the mastermind behind the Khargragarh blast in Burdwan. During interrogation, Kausar revealed the names of Kazi and Shaikh to the NIA officials.
Sleuths also came to know that they were hiding somewhere in South India. Since then, they were on the hunt for the duo and activated their secret agents. Later, NIA officials received information regarding the duo returning to Bengal. Based on the information, NIA activated their agents across the state. The duo’s names were on the most wanted list published by NIA in connection with the Khagragarh blast case. NIA had also announced rewards for information on them. It is suspected that they might have been trying to reconstruct the organisation for future terrorist activities. Sleuths came to know that Kazi used to be the right hand man for Kausar.
They were directly connected to the Bangladeshi terrorist group identified as Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). Kazi was given the responsibility of gathering funds and arranging arms and explosives. He was also connected with the blast which took place during July 2013. On the other hand, Shaikh was given the task of recruiting new people for JMB. He used to roam across the state, targeting people from villages for their anti-national organisation.
Both of them are experts in making Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) and other explosives. The Khagragarh blast took place on October 2 in 2014 killing two persons on the spot, who were later identified as Shovan Mondal and Shakil Ahemed. Later, the case was handed over to state Criminal Investigation Department (CID). But as the case was regarding anti-national movement, it was subsequently handed over to the NIA.
Source: Millennium Post
