Kerala police say LeT commander was plotting from jail through secret codes, Karnataka cops deny

Did Karnataka police slip up on security for Bangalore serial blasts accused?
Kerala police say LeT commander was plotting from jail through secret codes, Karnataka cops deny
Kerala police say LeT commander was plotting from jail through secret codes, Karnataka cops deny
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The Karnataka police have denied any lapse on their part, when it came to light that one of the main accused in the Bangalore serial blasts case was communicating with his associates from inside the jail through secret codes.

On Saturday, Kochi police arrested a man named Shahanas (22) from the North railway station in Kochi. Shahanas is a close associate of Thadiyantavide Nazir, one of the main accused in the Bangalore serial blasts case. Nazir was the south India commander of the Lashkar-e-Toiba and is currently lodged as a high security prisoner in Bangalore Central Prison.

On investigation, Shahanas revealed that Nazir was allegedly communicating with his associates through letters and secret codes. 

Ernakulam police recovered eight letters and a duplicate key of handcuffs worn by Nazir from two houses. One of the houses was Shahanas’ in Perumbavoor and the other belonged to one Nazeem, who introduced Shahanas to Nazir.

Ernakulam Assistant Commissioner of Police  ST Suresh Kumar was quoted by The New Indian Express as saying “The evidence were recovered during a raid conducted at Shahanas’s house, following the seizure of eight letters sent by Nazir including the one containing names of the witnesses in the Bengaluru blast case.  A duplicate key of the handcuff worn by Nazir was also recovered in the raid.”

Police suspect that Nazir was working on sabotaging the investigation into the Bangalore blasts case and that Shahanas was his messenger for the last five years. Nazir was also suspected to be using WhatsApp from inside the jail. Prison inmates are not allowed to use mobile phones.

Karnataka jail authorities however, have denied any lapse on their part. Superintendent of the Bangalore Central Prison Krishna Kumar told The News Minute that anybody could come to prison and meet inmates. “We cant stop anybody from talking to somebody else” he said.

Kumar said that since Nazir has several cases against him in different states, he is produced in the courts in these states. “When he was outside (being taken to courts) maybe some (lapse might have occured).” He said that Nazir was constantly monitored.

On July 25, 2008, two people died in nine bomb explosions across the city. Twenty people had been injured. In June 2012, the Kochi Crime Branch police arrested Nazir in connection with a dacoity case in Kizhakkambalam. Nazir is wanted in several cases that relate to murder, recrutment for terror networks, blasts in Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Kozhikode bus stand, dacoity.

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