Kalamassery bus burning: Chargesheeted absconder arrested

Ernakulam, April 9: In a major breakthrough in the Kalamassery bus burning case, the National Investigation Agency has arrested a chargesheeted absconder. K A Anoob alias Anu a resident of North Paravoor, Ernakulam District, Kerala was arrested at the Indira Gandhi International airport, New Delhi while he arrived from Abu Dhabi.

Anoob who has been arraigned as accused 9 in the case was absconding since the incident. An Interpol red corner notice, non bailable warrant was also issued against him. In the chargesheet he was shown as an absconding accused following which the NIA's special court had issued a non-bailable warrant against him.

On September 9, 2005 at around 9.30 PM, a Government of Tamil Nadu bus, plying between Ernakulum and Salem was hijacked and set ablaze in the jurisdiction of Kalamassery Police Station, Ernakulam by a group of persons including Anoob. They were demanding that their accomplices lodged in the Coimbatore jail be released.

Criminal conspiracy:

Anoob was part of the criminal conspiracy behind the incident and he along with two other accused had followed the bus from Kalamassery before their accomplices travelling in the bus hijacked it and took it to a desolate place where it was set ablaze.

A case was first registered at the Ernakulam police station and later the same was transferred to the NIA. After investigations, a chargesheet was filed on December 17 2010 against 13 accused persons.

The NIA received a tip off that Anoob who had fled to Abu Dhabi would land in Delhi. After preliminary examination, at the airport he was arrested. He will be taken to Kochi on a transit remand and produced before the NIA court.