Three held in bomb blast case

The City police have claimed a major breakthrough in the investigation into the Malleswaram blast case with the arrest of three men.

In a release on Tuesday, the police announced that the trio were residents of Melapalayam in the Tirunalveli district of Tamil Nadu. They have been identified as Peer Mohiddeen alias Peer (39), Basheer alias Sunnati Basheer (30) and Kitchen Bhuhari alias Bhugari (38). Peer Mohiddeen was working with a private firm in the City.

A senior police officer told Deccan Herald that their exact role in the blast is yet to be ascertained. He, however, confirmed that the man who parked the explosive-laden motorcycle at Malleswaram on that fateful day was not among those arrested. City Police Commissioner Raghavendra Auradkar said many people were involved in the blast and the probe was in the initial stages. The breakthrough was achieved based on crucial leads from the blast site, he added.

Auradkar, however, refused to comment on organisational affiliations of those arrested. Sources said since they were from Melapalayam, once a hotbed of Islamic fundamentalism, sleuths suspected that certain proscribed organisations involved in high profile terror attacks have probably resurfaced.

Sources said the engine and chassis number of the motorcycle on which the explosive was planted led the police to R Prakash in Chennai. He had sold the motorcycle to a man who identified himself as Anwar Basha, a mechanic from Kancheepuram, a few months ago. The police traced him to Vellore.

Sources said the man had used a fake identity to buy the motorcycle and a SIM card. Further investigation into his call records revealed that some of his accomplices had also procured SIM cards with fake identities. The police on Monday arrested Basheer and Peer Mohammed in a lodge in the Flower Bazar area of Chennai. They were immediately flown to Bangalore.

Kitchen Bhuhari was arrested in Madurai on Tuesday. A special CCB team brought him to Bangalore. The three suspects are being interrogated by senior police officers at an undisclosed location. They may be produced before 8th ACMM court at his house later.