Kerala - Kozhikode   

NIA collecting evidence of conspiracy

KOZHIKODE: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday took Shammi Firoz, seventh accused in the twin blasts case in Kozhikode in March 2006, to several places in the city to collect evidence.

Officials said Firoz was taken to the Markaz mosque, near Rajaji Road Junction; Dar-us-salam complex at Arayadathupalam Junction; Pattalapalli mosque premises; a mobile shop at Dubai Bazaar at Mavoor Road junction and the Corporation stadium premises.

Firoz was arrested at the Cochin International Airport at Nedumbassery on Friday when he arrived from Abu Dhabi. On Tuesday, the NIA team got him in police custody for three days. The officials interrogated him on Wednesday.

Firoz, hailing from Chettippadi, near Parappangadi in Malappuram district, had come in contact with the suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative Thadiyantavide Nazir, who is the first accused in the case.

He had taken part in the blast operation although he claimed that he was unaware of the conspiracy hatched by Nazir and his team to plant explosives at the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation and Mofussil bus stations on Mavoor Road at 12.45 p.m. on March 3, 2006.

At the time of the incident, he was pursuing a computer course at an institute at Dar-us-salam complex and was attending a spoken English training programme at an institution near the Corporation stadium.

He told the interrogators that he had informed the District Collectorate and two newspaper offices that bombs had been planted at the two bus stations. He had telephoned the Collectorate and newspaper offices from a coin-operated box at Dubai bazaar.

Nazir and his team had met Firoz at the Markaz mosque and later offered prayers at the Pattalapalli mosque near Calicut Press Club. NIA Superintendent of Police T.K. Rajmohan is investigating the case.

So far, the NIA has not considered making Firoz an approver in the case, a senior official said.

The NIA had earlier brought Nazir and his close relative Shafaz to the city to collect evidence in the blasts case.

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