NIA announces cash reward for arrest of Indian Mujahideen men in blasts case

New Delhi: NIA on Sunday announced a cash reward of up to Rs 10 lakh for any information leading to arrest of five absconding accused of banned Indian Mujahideen terror group including Tahseen Akhtar in Bodh Gaya and Patna serial blasts cases.

Besides Akhtar alias "Monu", a resident of Bihar, others named by the NIA were Haider Ali alias Abdullah, Numan Ansari, Taufeeq Ansari and Mojibullah, all residents of Jharkhand.

The NIA announcement said that the agency solicits the cooperation and assistance of general public and requests to provide information leading to the arrest of the five operatives of the Indian Mujahideen (IM) who were wanted for their alleged involvement in the planning and commission of terrorist acts including the July 7 Bodh Gaya Blasts and October 27 Patna Blasts.

Anyone providing information leading to arrest of Akhtar and Ali would be paid a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh whereas for others it would be Rs five lakh.

While Akhtar, who has virtually taken over the India operations of Indian Mujahideen after the arrest of Yaseen Bhatkal, is wanted in connection with the Hyderabad blasts also, Ali is also sought by the agency in another case related to the role of the terror outfit including its finances.

While five monks were injured in Bodh Gaya blasts, as many as six people died in Patna blasts during a rally addressed by BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi. NIA has arrested four people including Mohammed Imtiyaz Ansari, who was nabbed by public when he along with another IM accused were assembling bombs inside a toilet at makeshift railway station in Patna.