Hy'bad blasts: Suspect detained, associates to undergo narco test

Bangladesh police detained Mohammed Sharifuddin, a key suspect, in connection with twin blasts and Mecca Masjid explosions in Hyderabad and two of his associates will be put to narco test, which could provide key inputs about the masterminds of the three terror attacks.

According to intelligence inputs from across the border, Bangladesh police picked up Sharifuddin alias Abu Hamza, a Bangladeshi HuJI operative, and were questioning him for his alleged role in recent bombings at Hyderabad.

Security agencies and police suspect Sharifuddin was among the two persons who planted the bombs that went off at an open air auditorium and a popular eatery in Hyderabad on August 25 killing 43 people dead.

Sharifuddin, believed to be a trans-border criminal who operates under code-names 'Hamza' and 'Kanchan,' had extended support to HuJI and other Pakistan-based militant groups including Lashker-e-Tayiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed purely for monetary gains, sources said.

Asked for comments about detention of Sharifuddin, Union Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta said information on this was being gathered.

"We are trying to find out more information," he said.

Sharrifuddin is believed to have undertaken the task as per the orders of HuJI commander Abdul Shahid Mohammed alias 'Bilal' alleged to be the main accused in the twin blasts at an open air auditorium and a popular eatery in Hyderabad, which left 43 people dead on August 35.

The role of Sharifuddin came to light during the interrogation of Abdul Sattar, a police mole, who was arrested after the Mecca Masjid blast in May this year after he was found to have switched over to militant groups.      

The CBI, meanwhile, is going to send a request through Interpol to its counterparts in Bangladesh to verify the reports about Sharifuddin, sources said.

However, little is expected from Dhaka as Sharifuddin had no Red Corner notice against him, they said.      

India may also make a request through diplomatic channels as the two countries, during the recent Indo-Bangla Home Secretary level talks, had decided to set up a joint mechanism for sharing actionable intelligence.

Sharifuddin was also allegedly involved in the attack on Special Task Force of Andhra Pradesh police in 2005.

Police sources in Hyderabad, said Hamza's two associates, who are in jail, in connection with Mecca mosque explosion have been taken to Bangalore where they will be subjected to narco test in a couple of days.

Kaleem and Ibrahim Khan, who were taken to Bangalore, were among the four persons arrested in connection with the May 18 blast at Mecca masjid.

The police expects the duo could provide vital inputs regarding the August 25 terror attack that killed 42 persons at Lumbini Park and an eatery in Hyderabad.

It was during a narco test that Abdul Nayeem alias Sameer, who was also in jail, disclosed about the smuggling of 10 kg of RDX into the city. 

The duo will be subjected to narco analysis tests for two days, sources in Bangalore police said.

An ISI agent, Abdul Nayeem alias Samir, a native of Aurangabad, who was arrested by West Bengal police while he was crossing the state border with Bangladesh, was taken to Forensic Science Laboratory in Bangalore for narco analysis on April 19, the sources said.

During the test, Nayeem revealed that four Paksitani nationals had entered Hyderabad for their targets and that he had already supplied RDX and other materials to them, the sources said, adding this vital piece of information was immediately passed on to Hyderabad police.

Nayeem also confessed that besides Hamsa, Shahid Bilal was another mastermind in the terror plot, the sources said.

Police sources said 800 gm of this explosive was used in the mosque blast, which killed nine people. Nayeem told police the RDX was smuggled in February on orders from Shahid, who is believed to be the HUJI commander for south India.

Nayeem, who was also allegedly involved in last year's Mumbai train blasts, was brought here from Maharashtra in June in connection with the mosque blast.

Hyderabad Police Commissioner Balwinder Singh said in a statement that Mohammed Abdul Shahid alias Bilal, a native of Moosaram bagh in Hyderabad, 'planned a criminal conspiracy to smuggle RDX to wage war against the state.'

"The RDX was procured and the accused planned to cause communal disturbances in Hyderabad. The RDX was smuggled into Hyderabad in February by Shaik Abdul Nayeem alias Sameer under the direction of Shahid.

"Nayeem is an operative indulging in cross-border terrorism and he is working under the direction of Shahid and his associates. He is also involved in Aurangabad arms and criminal conspiracy case," Singh said.

The investigating authorities believe that the twin bombings at Lumbini Park and Gokul Chat Bhandar were the handiwork of HuJI.