Seven SIMI activists held in Rajasthan

Jaipur, Aug 17 (UNI) The Special Operation Group (SoG) of the Rajasthan police has nabbed seven suspected SIMI activists, including an AIIMS student and a private practitioner in Baran, Kota and Newai towns for interrogation of their possible links with suspects of serial bomb blasts in Jaipur and other places in the country.

Officials and eye witnesses said three youths-- Riyaz, Wasim- Kabadi and Abid--were nabbed in Baran last night and were brought here for questioning regarding the May 13 serial blasts which had left 68 people dead in the Pink City.

Meanwhile, a group of people held protests against their arrest at the Baran Kotwali yesterday.

A report from Kota said three people-- Dr Ishaq Qureshi, Taufiq and Niyayat--were held from Waqf Colony in Dada Bari area and brought to Jaipur.

An AIIMS student was also arrested in Newai town of the Tonk district last night.

Although the police has not made any official statement over the arrests but officials and eye witnesses said they were picked up for their possible links with those SIMI activists, who are being tipped as suspects in serial blasts in Jaipur and elsewhere and believed to have provide shelter to the latter during their Kota, Baran and Newai visits.

The police has also seized SIMI-related literature from Dr Ishaq's clinic in Dada Bari in Kota.

The state police was also keeping a close vigil over the ongoing investigation and arrest of SIMI activists in last month's serial blasts in Ahmedabad.

A team of Rajasthan police has been sent to Gujarat to monitor the developments in investigation of Ahmedabad serial blasts as the masterminds of the blasts, Mufti Abdul Basheer Islahi and SIMI functionary Sajid Mansuri, were also suspected to be involved in the Jaipur serial blasts.

The duo, presently in the custody of Gujarat police, could have links with Jaipur blasts also as they used to visit the city frequently.

''Two of the 10 serial blasts suspects arrested by the Gujarat police are believed to have direct links with the Jaipur serial blasts and we expect a concluding evidence soon,'' a Rajasthan government spokesman said.

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