Transit remand for HUJI chief's accomplices

An Alipore court on Monday granted transit remand of three accomplices of Jalaluddin, the prime suspect in the Khadim kidnap case and head of Bangladesh-based terrorist outfit Harkat-ul-Jehad al-Islam.

Magistrate, Alipore court, Jayanta Kolay directed the CID to hand them over to the Uttar Pradesh police and produce them in an appropriate court in Lucknow by June 30.

Jalaluddin, chief of HUJI's India operation, wanted in Khadim director Parthapratim Roy Burman abduction case, the Shramajeevi Express blast case as also the explosion in Sankot Mochan temple, was arrested in Lucknow on June 23.

After Jalaluddin's arrest, the CID in Kolkata swung into action and arrested Mohammed Ali Akbar Hossain and Azizul Rahman from Bongaon in North 24-Parganas district and Muktar Hossain from Nandigram in East Midnapore district recently.

During interrogation, the three accused admitted of being responsible for supplying explosives to Jalaluddin, alias Babubhai, after receiving the consignments from Pakistan via Bangladesh.

"Though nothing suspicious has been recovered from their houses, the arrested admitted that they had received training in Pakistan three years ago and were closely associated with terrrorist mastermind Jalaluddin. We are examining their statements," DIG (O) CID Rajib Kumar told reporters in Kolkata.

The CID official said that West Bengal was a transit route for terrorists as access to the border with Bangladesh was easy, from where they went to Pakistan. Kumar did not rule out the possibility of more terrorist hideouts in the state.