Majid Bilal, who is believed to be the kingpin and Saudi Arabia-based handler of the Hubli-Bengaluru terror module had been arrested once for unlawful assembly during a protest and was later released for lack of evidence. Sources say even after this, Majid managed to flee to Saudi Arabia and met HuJI operatives to take his brother’s place.
Police have, meanwhile, reportedly picked up a SIM card seller in Deodurga of Raichur district in connection with the terror modules busted in the state. Though the name of the detainee is yet to be revealed, sources said he has issued mobile phone SIM cards to most of the accused arrested so far in connection with the assassination plots.
The suspect has reportedly sold the SIM cards based on fake ID proofs and also recommended for activation of the same without carrying proper verification. A senior police official said that several mobile phones have been seized from the accused during the arrests and the verification of the call details was still on.
The mobile phone store in Raichur owned by the suspect would have also sold the SIM cards as has been the practice in many places, despite strict regulations, source said. The CCB sleuths are learnt to have taken Mallikarjun to Bengaluru on Monday night for questioning.
Terror suspects to be taken to Hubli
The internal security wing continued with its operation of piecing information and learning more about the antecedents of the arrested terror suspects in the city on Tuesday. The police teams, led by S.R. Ganachari and Prashant Siddangoudar, visited Yallapur Oni, railway station, Keshwapur, Old Hubli and Mantur Road localities to verify the addresses given by the terror suspects to CCB police. They also questioned the family members and relatives with regard to the behavior of all the arrested persons. The team will stay in the city for another two days till the family members of the suspected terrorists, who have gone to Bengaluru, return to Hubli.
Meanwhile, sources said the CCB sleuths are expected bring the suspected terrorists to the city to establish their connections with outlawed outfits. They are also planning to bring those arrested in Bengaluru too, as they hail from Hubli. The CCB sleuths are likely to question members of the Social Democratic Front of India (SDFI) and Popular Front of India (PFI), sources said.