Terrorist leaders not in K'taka but elsewhere: DGP

Bangalore, Feb 28: Karnataka DGP K R Sreenivasan today said investigations held so far into the suspected terror network in the state had revealed that its leadership was not present in the state but elsewhere. Addressing a press conference here, Mr Sreenivasan said the seven arrested -- two in Davangere and five in Hubli-- belonged to the same network and had 'hatched a plan of criminal activities including bomb blasts'.

He said the police were on the lookout for some more people, involved in the case. The five arrested, relating to the Hubli case, were of the banned organisation-Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI). ''Earlier it was believed that the organisation operated only in Bangalore, it has spread its wings to other parts of the state,'' he said.

The terror network came to light when Davangere police arrested Nasir alias Riyazuddin and Asadullah, alleged activists of Pakistan- based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Toaiba.

Based on their information, we arrested Mohammad Asif, Alla Baksh, Shakeel Ahamed, Yahya Khan alias Kammukutty and Syed Sadiq alias Sameer. ''We arrested them as we had sufficient evidences against them.

But now we know that their leaders are elsewhere and not in Karnataka,'' he said.

Mr Sreenivasan said Nasir, Asadullah, Asif and Shakeel had been subjected to narco analysis tests. Karnataka police had been in touch with their counterparts in Hyderabad, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Central agencies. Denying reports, which appeared in a section of press that instruction had been issued for strict verification before admitting Muslim students in various institutions, he said ''this is totally false and baseless. No such instruction has been issued. The rumours about two human bombs entering Karnataka is also false. We do not have any such information.'' He said ''such rumours will create terror in the minds of people, which is the aim of the terrorists. It is also wrong that police are targeting a particular section of the society. The investigation is being conducted in a totally impartial and unbiased manner.''

UNI