The Hindu : National : “Nasir was in Hyderabad before twin blasts”

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“Nasir was in Hyderabad before twin blasts”

Marri Ramu

Investigators suspect that he could have indirectly played some role in them

HYDERABAD: The Hyderabad police suspect that city youth Ziayuddin Nasir, arrested in Davangere, Karnataka on vehicle theft charge and suspected to be having links with terrorist outfits, was trained in Pakistan to be a suicide bomber.

Highly placed police sources say that this was indicated by those arrested in connection with the Mecca Masjid blast and the August blasts in the twin cities. The arrested persons had told their interrogators that Nasir was not only trained in making improvised explosive devices but also in carrying out terror strikes.

Sources said police had stumbled upon evidence indicating that Nasir stayed in Hyderabad for a couple of months before the explosions at the Lumbini Park and the Gokul Chat were triggered by the Harkat-ul-Jihad-i-Islami (HuJI) operatives on August 25.

During that time, he reportedly underwent treatment for some tooth-related problem. He also had weak eyesight and consulted doctors for some surgery. Investigators of the twin blasts case suspect that Nasir either had knowledge of the blasts or indirectly played some role in carrying them out.

“We’re trying to gather concrete evidence in this regard,” they said.

A.P. teams to quiz Nasir

Two Andhra Pradesh special teams are in Karnataka to question Nasir in this regard. Officials hope that he would throw more light on those who carried out the twin blasts.

Nasir is the fourth son of Moulana Naseeruddin, arrested by the Gujarat police in 2003 in connection with the killing of the former Home Minister of Gujarat, Haren Pandya. He dropped out while studying the intermediate course in M.S. College at Nalgonda Crossroads in Hyderabad. Nasir was accused of instigating mobs during the funeral procession of Mujahid, shot dead by the Gujarat police during the outbreak of violence following his father’s arrest. After this incident Nasir came under the police scanner. A couple of years later, he left for Mecca to perform Umra but had not returned home since then.

Meanwhile, Nasir’s mother Tasneem Fatima condemned reports linking her husband Naseeruddin and son to terrorist activities. She claimed that her husband was falsely implicated in the Pandya murder case and her son’s arrest must be viewed with suspicion.

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