Hardcore jihadis in Bengaluru for custodial interrogation

The accused were arrested last month in a joint operation by the Tamil Nadu and City police from Samiullah’s house in Sonenahalli slum in Viveknagar police station limits for their alleged involvement in the June 18 murder of Hindu Munnani general secretary - Suresh Kumar in Ambattur in TN. “They may have links with the proscribed terror outfit, Al Umma - but so far it has not come up in the course of investigation.

Shameem and Nawaz, who had earlier confessed to the crime, said that they were tasked with the murder of Mr. Kumar by one person by the name of Khwaja Moiuddin, who was earlier arrested in Chennai and is in judicial custody.

Though the four accused are originally from Tamil Nadu, Samiullah and Sadiq had long migrated to Bengaluru,” said an official source. Samiullah is being grilled for further information on his links with Al Umma in the City.

“He has denied his association with Al Umma but said that he knew about Shameem and Nawaz and was asked to provide them shelter,” said the officer. The CCB along with the Intelligence Bureau is however, investigating his antecedents and probable links with frontal terror outfits in Bengaluru.

Meanwhile, though Shameem has denied his links with Al Umma, his criminal record establishes his association with the outlawed outfit. He was arrested in 2013 for alleged involvement in the near-fatal attack on the 69-year-old Bharatiya Janata Party leader M. R. Gandhi in Nagercoil, Kanyakumari district on April 21. The prime accused in the attack - K Mohammed Salin, who was also arrested is allegedly a former member of Al Umma from Melapalayam in Tirunelveli district, the officer added.