2008 blasts accused remanded to six day police custody

Central Crime Branch (CCB) sleuths on Tuesday took custody of one of the main accused in the Bengaluru serial blasts.

The arrested, identified as Shohib alias Faizal, a native of Paapinchari, Aroli post, in Kerala, was brought to the city after being nabbed at the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport on Monday. He has been remanded in police custody for six days.

A senior police officer said Shohib played a major role in the 2008 serial blast cases. He is alleged to have transported the explosives and mapping the locations where the bombs needed to be placed. He is also alleged to have recruited a few people for the banned outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba and other outfits.

Shohib, accused number 32, was brought to the city in the early hours of Tuesday and being interrogated by the investigating officers of the Anti-Terrorist Cell (ATC) of the CCB. He had been hiding since the blasts.

"Shohib was hiding in Dubai, a red corner notice was issued against him last October after we learnt about his hideout,” said the official. “We got some clues about his location with the help of the central agencies and a red corner notice was issued. Last week we got to know that he is coming to Thiruvananthapuram. We had sent ATC officials (immediately) to Trivandrum and when he came yesterday, we nabbed him," he added.

The serial blasts had taken place in Madiwala, Adugodi, Ashoknagar, Sampangirama Nagar, Byatarayanapura, Kengeri and Koramangala police station limits on July 25, of 2008, killing one person and wounding around 20 others.

The case has been booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Though police could take the accused into custody for a month, they have only taken him for six days and will later approach the court for an extension.