A man who had rented a portion of his house last year to Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen terror suspect Habibur Rehman and his associates had unwittingly safeguarded improvised explosive devices (IED) left behind by the tenants for a year. Officials of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), who recently arrested Rehman, recovered the IEDs and other material on Sunday.
Arpan Saha, investigating officer of NIA, recovered the explosives based on information provided by Rehman, who was arrested in June at Doddaballapur for his alleged involvement in the blasts in Burdwan (West Bengal) in 2014. The material recovered included five hand grenades, one timer, three electric circuits, suspected explosive substances, components for making IEDs/rockets.
“The hand grenades were fabricated as part of a conspiracy to commit acts of terror in different parts of the State,” an NIA official said
Sen and his team escorted Rehman to a house in Mustan Sab Garden, Old Railway Station Road, Chikkabanavara, where he had stayed as a tenant for two months from May 2018 along with his associates. The landlord, Samiulla, also sells water to private tankers.
Samiulla was puzzled when NIA officials, accompanied by the local police and Rehman, knocked on his door. When they inspected the house, they found the materials in a room that was locked. The accused had taken a portion of his house on rent for ₹3,800 a month and paid an advance amount of ₹15,000.
“They provided identification proof and told Samiulla that they manufactured novelty items, such as bangles and rings. The men would leave the house early in the morning and return late at night,” said an NIA official.
Terror suspect: Habibur Rehman
After staying there for about two months, they disappeared in July without informing Samiulla who later found the material they had left behind and stored them in another room. He then started leasing that portion of his house to other tenants.
According to officials, he was shocked to learn that the items were IEDs.
The others who stayed with Rehman in the house were Nazrul Islam alias Mota Anas, Asif Ikbal alias Nadim, Arif Jahidul Islam alias Kausar.
“We suspect that the accused had vacated the house a month before NIA arrested one of their associates Adil Asadullah at Ramanagar in August last year,” said an NIA official.
Samiulla told officials said that Rehman and his associates would often have visitors, with some even staying in the premises for several days.
Clean chit to Samiulla
NIA officials, who questioned Samiulla, gave him a clean chit after being convinced that he had not been aware of the identities of his tenants or had any link to terror outfits.
Based on a complaint by Sen, the Soladevanahalli police have registered an FIR against the accused charging them under Sections 121 (waging, or attempting to wage war, or abetting waging of war, against the government of India) and 120 (conspiracy).
The NIA is trying to track down Rehman’s associates who are on the run, said an official.
