Kerala police seize handcuff key from home of suspected ultra's aide

He was trying to 'influence' witnesses in B'luru serial blasts case

A handcuff key is among the objects seized by the Kerala police from the home of Shahanas P A, 22, said to be an associate of Bengaluru serial blasts accused Thadiyantavide Nazeer.

The raid, conducted late on Saturday, also yielded five mobile phones and seven sim cards. Shahanas, a native of Perumbavoor near Kochi, was arrested at the Ernakulam North railway station earlier in the day and booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

Police believe he was in “constant touch” with Nazeer who is on trial in the 2008 Bengaluru serial blasts case.

The suspect’s call records are being checked and the presence of a handcuff key in his home is being investigated, Ernakulam North Circle Police Inspector, Shiju PS, a member of the team which arrested Shahanas, told Deccan Herald on Sunday. Police also raided the home of another suspected associate of Nazeer’s.

Shahanas is learnt to have acted as a “messenger for years” between Nazeer and his associates in different parts of Kerala.

Plans for sabotage
Letters in different languages said to have been written by Nazeer, seized from Shahanas, revealed plans to “derail” the Bengaluru blasts case. Shiju, without divulging contents of the letters, confirmed that Nazeer had been trying to “influence” witnesses in the case.

“The correspondence reveals they have been working on a plan to pull this off. There were direct instructions by Nazeer to his associates to ensure that the witnesses make statements that favour him in the case,” the officer said. Some of the letters from Nazeer are also addressed to the witnesses and their relatives.

According to the police, Shahanas had met Nazeer when the latter was recently produced at the Kolenchery Munsiff Court in connection with a murder and burglary case. He had since been under police surveillance, which culminated in his arrest.

He was produced before a court on Sunday. The investigation team is set to intimate the Karnataka police on the details of his arrest.

Sources said sleuths from central investigation agencies interrogated the suspect on Sunday.