'58 terror cells active in West Bengal' says National Investigation Agency
New Delhi: In a sensational revelation, intelligence agencies and the National Investigation Agency told the Centre that at least 58 terror modules are active in West Bengal, most specialising in making IEDs.
A status report on the investigations into the Burdwan blast also states at least 180 Bangladeshi nationals who managed to sneak into India in the past few months were part of these terror modules, and belong to the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen.
Intelligence sources said it was in the backdrop of these revelations that NIA director-general Sharad Kumar visited Burdwan on Friday and took stock of the investigation into the blast and the Jamaat’s vast network.
The agencies also identified the two masterminds, Anisur and Mufazzal Hussain, responsible for setting up the Bengal modules. Sources said both are Bangladeshis and there is a possibility they may have fled to Bangladesh.
Mufazzal Hussain is the man who had set up two madrasas in Murshidabad which were primarily acting as a front for terror camps and some of the Jamaat cadres were being trained here for making the IEDs.
The NIA chief reached Kolkata this morning and later went to Burdwan where he met the investigating team. Sources said the NIA DG was given a detailed account of the probe and also what the accused persons, Hasem Molla alias Badru Alam Molla, Razia Bibi and Alima Bibi, have disclosed during interrogation so far.
NIA took over investigations into the case following directions from the Union Home Ministry even though the Trinamool Congress-led State Government was reluctant for the central anti-terror agency to conduct the investigations.
Mr Kumar visited the blast site and inspected the house where the blast took place, examined the rooms and went to the terrace of the building. After spending about 30 minutes, he went to visit another house at nearby Mathpara on Badsahi Road where 40 improvised hand grenades were found. He later visited Murshidabad also where one of the dead terrorists, Shakil, had lived on rent.
The NIA is now closely investigating another aspect into the case as a large amount of cash recovered from the house in Burdwan has apparently been traced to a bank robbery in Telangana a few months ago.
'We are trying to find out if there is a link between this terror module and the bank robbery as some of the cash from that incident has been recovered from the house of one of the terrorist', a senior investigating official said.
