In a major breakthrough in investigations in the Bardhaman blast case, the West Bengal Police arrested Sajid, who the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has described as the “chief of the Bardhaman module,” on Jessore Road near the airport here on Saturday.
Commissioner of Police, Bidhannagar city, Rajiv Kumar said Sajid from Narayanganj in Bangladesh had confessed during interrogation that he had been involved in the blast. Unconfirmed reports say he is a member of the Majlis-e-Shura, the central committee of the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh.
“The ATS [anti-terrorism squad] team was following up on information about illegal money transactions and initially intercepted a courier who was to receive the money. The courier had agreed to keep (shelter) Sajid for some time,” Mr. Kumar said. He was arrested under Section 41 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
The NIA has declared a reward of Rs. 10 lakh for information leading to Sajid’s arrest. The agency said Sajid, 40, was a “suspected national of Bangladesh.” He had been staying near the Lalgolaa Madrasa in Mursidabad of West Bengal.
The NIA has arrested five persons, two of them women, in the case. Zia-ul-Haque, arrested on Friday, was sent to seven-day NIA custody by a sessions court here.
Fifth suspect remanded in Bardhaman blast
The NIA has declared a reward of Rs. 10 lakh for information leading to Sajid’s arrest. The agency said Sajid, 40, was a “suspected national of Bangladesh.” He had been staying near the Lalgolaa Madrasa in Mursidabad district of West Bengal.
The NIA has so far arrested five persons, two of them women, in the case.
The fifth arrest was made on Friday when Zia-ul-Haque, a close associate of Rezaul Karim, another suspect in the blast from Malda district, was arrested.
