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Bangalore’s terror links

BANGALORE: Bangalore’s image took a severe beating at the international level in 2007 after it emerged that the suicide bomber who drove the flaming jeep into the U.K.’s Glasgow airport in June was Kafeel Ahmed, an engineer from the State capital.

Kafeel Ahmed’s now confirmed involvement in the terror attack, and the initial suspicion that his Liverpool-based doctor-brother Sabeel Ahmed and Australia-based doctor-cousin Mohammed Haneef were also part of the terror module, sent the Bangalore police into a tizzy.

For, hitherto there had been no Bangalore angle to any international terrorist act.

The city police, with the assistance of central intelligence agencies, carried out a thorough probe and, much to the relief of security agencies, the investigation revealed that Kafeel was not part of any local terrorist network and also had not indulged in any unlawful activities here.

On the other hand, an Australian court reinstated Dr. Haneef’s work visa, clearing him of terror charges levelled against him by that country’s police.

Closer home, the most sensational crime of the year was the shooting at Shabnam Developers in 9th Block, Jayanagar. Two employees of the estate agency were killed when the alleged accomplices of Mumbai underworld operator Ravi Poojary shot them on February 16.

The setback on the law and order front was the communal violence that rocked Shivajinagar, Bharathinagar, Ulsoor and surrounding areas in February during a rally to protest against the execution of Saddam Hussein. While a 15-year-old boy was killed in the police firing, several people were injured and property damaged in stone-throwing and arson.

According to Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime), Bangalore, Gopal B. Hosur, cracking the August 11 gold heist at Chemmanur Jewellers on Kammanahalli Main Road was the city police’s major achievement this year.

“Though we have solved several major crimes, the Chemmanur Jewellers case was the most sensational incident given the dare devilry shown by armed robbers and the value of the property looted,” Mr. Hosur said.

The police had to make “extensive efforts” to trace the robbers and recover the stolen jewellery from them. “With the arrest of the inter-State gang, we also detected several important robberies reported elsewhere,” he said.

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