<p>Two youths — Abdul Rahman alias Abdullah, aged 26 and Ismath, aged 22 — were arrested for their alleged involvement in planting a bomb in a culvert at Alampatti near Madurai, which was on the route of Advani’s Yatra. The BJP leader had to take a detour due to this bomb scare.<br /><br />Top police sources told Deccan Herald late on Tuesday night that this was a big breakthrough in the case. <br /><br />Fortunately the bomb was detected and defused by the Madurai police, posing no threat to the BJP leader’s anti-corruption yatra, after two locals of the village reported the suspicious object to the police. <br /><br />One of the villagers was a local AIADMK councillor. Both were rewarded by Jayalalitha on Monday.<br /><br />Police sources said based on the confession statements of the two arrested youth, police have seized an auto-rickshaw and a motorcycle used in the crime. Further investigations are on with the ADGP Crime Branch CID, R Sekar, himself leading the investigation camping at Madurai, according to sources.<br /><br />It is still not known whether the two accused have any links with the banned Muslim fundamentalist organisation, Al-Umma, which had also targeted Advani during a poll rally in Coimbatore in February 1998, triggering multiple bomb explosions then. <br /><br />The BJP leader had a providential escape then as well because his convoy was delayed in reaching Coimbatore that day from Chennai.<br /><br />Police on Sunday had also zeroed in on a person in Kanyakumari district further down south who was said to be in possession of this explosive substance. <br /><br />At this stage, the details are still sketchy as police are grilling both the accused.</p>
<p>Two youths — Abdul Rahman alias Abdullah, aged 26 and Ismath, aged 22 — were arrested for their alleged involvement in planting a bomb in a culvert at Alampatti near Madurai, which was on the route of Advani’s Yatra. The BJP leader had to take a detour due to this bomb scare.<br /><br />Top police sources told Deccan Herald late on Tuesday night that this was a big breakthrough in the case. <br /><br />Fortunately the bomb was detected and defused by the Madurai police, posing no threat to the BJP leader’s anti-corruption yatra, after two locals of the village reported the suspicious object to the police. <br /><br />One of the villagers was a local AIADMK councillor. Both were rewarded by Jayalalitha on Monday.<br /><br />Police sources said based on the confession statements of the two arrested youth, police have seized an auto-rickshaw and a motorcycle used in the crime. Further investigations are on with the ADGP Crime Branch CID, R Sekar, himself leading the investigation camping at Madurai, according to sources.<br /><br />It is still not known whether the two accused have any links with the banned Muslim fundamentalist organisation, Al-Umma, which had also targeted Advani during a poll rally in Coimbatore in February 1998, triggering multiple bomb explosions then. <br /><br />The BJP leader had a providential escape then as well because his convoy was delayed in reaching Coimbatore that day from Chennai.<br /><br />Police on Sunday had also zeroed in on a person in Kanyakumari district further down south who was said to be in possession of this explosive substance. <br /><br />At this stage, the details are still sketchy as police are grilling both the accused.</p>
