Nine held in State for 'terror links'

In a joint operation, Uttar Pradesh police and Bangalore City Crime Branch police on Wednesday arrested nine youths from Bangalore and Hubli on charges of involving in ‘anti-national’ activities.

Four were picked up from Keshwapur and Old Hubli areas in Hubli in the wee hours of Wednesday and five from Bangalore.

The police have recovered computers and other electronic gadgets from them. Unconfirmed sources in Hubli said the youths were arrested in connection with a bomb blast. Imran Bahadduri, Dr Zakir Hussain Sheikh, Wayid Hussain Kanakannavar, all residents of Keshwapur and Zafar Iqbal Sollapuri of Old Hubli were picked up from their homes.

The team, headed by CCB inspector N B Sakri, took the arrested persons to Bangalore for further investigation. The local police were kept out of the loop.

In Bangalore, police reportedly picked up five men living in a rented room in Mubarak Mohalla in Munireddy Palya in the early hours of Wednesday.

Local residents told Deccan Herald that three plainclothesmen drove up in a car and picked up the five men living in a second floor rented flat. They were later identified as Mohammed Yusuf, Riyaz, two brothers -Shoaib and Ijaz - and Muthi-ur-Rehman Siddiqui. Bangalore police, however, were tightlipped.