Despite getting a clean chit twice, Usman Ghani, originally from Hubli and presently working at National Guard Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, continues to be on the list of terror suspects with the National Investigating Agency (NIA) now getting a red corner notice issued against him for his custody.
Dr. Ghani, who was detained by the Saudi police at the request of the Bangalore city police on October 8, was released after 21 days when the police failed to substantiate their charges against him of involvement in an alleged terror plot. Having taken over investigation, the NIA claims it obtained concrete evidence against him.
Dr. Ghani is among eight terror suspects, including alleged mastermind Zakir Ustad, against whom red corner notices are pending. The accused, according to the Bangalore police, are suspected terror handlers and coordinated an alleged operation in Bangalore from Saudi Arabia, which was busted by the police with the arrest of 11 suspects in Bangalore and Hubli.
Since it has international ramifications, the NIA has taken over the case for further investigation and we are assisting them, a senior police official told The Hindu .
The NIA questioned several people, including Obedur Rahman from Hyderabad and Akram from Nanded in Maharashtra, who were allegedly part of the Bangalore-Hubli terror module and had supposedly received instructions from the handlers.
Though Dr. Ghani was picked up for questioning in 2008, he was released. He later went to Riyadh and has since been working at the National Guard Hospital.
The Bangalore police, who arrested 15 people recently in Bangalore and Hubli, now say they have fresh evidence against Dr. Ghani. The NIA has taken over the case since it has the expertise in handling such cases, Bangalore Police Commissioner B.G. Jyothi Prakash Mirji said.
