Shocking: SSB constable's alleged link with Burdwan blast accused exposed

New Delhi, Nov 11: National Investigating Agency (NIA) on Tuesday, Nov 11 interrogated a Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) constable who has been accused of sheltering an accused of the Burdhwan blast case. SSB is one of India's Central Armed Police Forces. It is often referred to as a paramilitary force. It is currently under the administrative control of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India. It was formerly known as the Special Service Bureau.

According to sources, the SSB constable allegedly had given shelter to the blast accused in Delhi. The questioning of the constable comes in the wake of the arrest of Amjad Ali Shaikh on Monday. [Burdwan blast: Another key conspirator Amjad arrested from West Bengal]

SSB constable allegedly had given shelter to blast accused:

Shaikh, another accused in the Burdwan blast case, was alleged to have taken the name of this SSB constable. Shaikhhad also told the NIA that he fled to Delhi soon after the blast took place in Burdwan, West Bengal.

According to sources, Sheikh told the NIA that he had sought the help of the constable in the national capital. The constable allegedly had helped him by giving accommodation to Sheikh.

Sheikh stayed in Delhi for a week before he returned to West Bengal. The NIA has been trying to ascertain the extent of the proximity between the constable and Sheikh. It has been found that Amjad may have known the constable for several years now.

Burdwan blast mastermind's confession:

Earlier the alleged mastermind of Burdwan blast module -- SK Rahmatlla alias Sajid alias Shambu was questioned by the NIA officials.During his interrogation he said that they had only a single point agenda and that was to carry out attacks in Bangladesh.

"Our target was not India, but we saw to it that all attacks would be launched out of India. We wanted to make West Bengal as the launch centre and since the year 2009 when we commenced the operation we had no hurdles in setting up the modules and this made it a perfect launch pad for us," said Sajid Ali. [On Alert: JMB planning to carry out terror attacks in India?]

"I am a Bangladeshi national and my father Lt Siddique Miyan is an ex-army man. I have spent time in jail in Bangladesh as we were protesting against the Awami League. In Bangladesh I used to live at Vill Farajikanda, PO Madangunj, P.S.Bandar, District Narayangunj," added Sajid Ali.

More modules

Meanwhile the latest round of questioning of Sajid Ali revealed that his wife Fatima an Indian was tasked with setting up a woman's module in Odisha. All the wife's of the operatives had crucial roles to play he also revealed.

He said that the women played a very important role in this operation. They were to transport the bombs to West Bengal by road and this would not have generated much heat.

"We had also advised the women to travel to other states and encourage others to join. Some of the women were also told to lay honey traps on government officials to seek information and also favours," said Sajid Ali.

"It worked to a large extent in West Bengal and we were confident that it would work in other states as well. The Majlis-e-Shura or the central committee of the Jamaat maintained that what we needed to build was an army and not a terror outfit. We were told to deploy the tactics that an army would do. Gathering intelligence, setting traps planting moles were among the various other activities that we had planned," Sajid also told the NIA.