Kochi: The cops investigating the Perumbavoor theft case said on Monday that the eight-member gang was trying to find money for financing terror activities. The police have planned to slap charges under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) against the gang members who posed as Vigilance officials and raided a house before looting gold and cash.
Though they have taken into custody four persons in connection with the case, they registered the arrest of only three of them on Monday -- Ajims, Rahees and Sanoop. The arrest of Abdul Halim, a close aide of suspected Indian Mujahideen operative Thadiyantavide Naseer, is yet to be recorded.
Ajims hails from Perumbavoor while Rahees and Sanoop are residents of Kottappuram at Alangad and Kadungallur near Aluva. “While the first three are members of a criminal gang, Halim has long been into clandestine activities to finance Jihad activities against the state. His interrogation is yet to be completed. The hunt for the remaining four accused is on,” a senior officer said. Halim had earlier been arraigned as an accused in the Kozhikode twin blasts and in the Kalamassery bus torching case besides several criminal cases.
On Friday last, the eight-member gang came in an Innova car to the residence of Sidhique Abdul Rahman of Parappuram Palipparambil disguised as Vigilance officers. Sidhique, the distributor of a milk brand, had gone to a mosque nearby when the team arrived. The gang told his wife Rahna and children that the Vigilance had received a complaint regarding “disproportionate assets” amassed by the family head and made off with 60 sovereigns of gold and Rs 25, 000 in cash.
