After the arrest of 38-year-old terror suspect Mohammed Jahidul Islam of Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen (JUM), the National Investigation Agency (NIA) sleuths are now on the lookout for his wife and relatives, who absconded soon after Islam’s arrest.
Sources revealed that Islam’s brother-in-law and father-in-law, along with their families, who were living in Ramanagaram, Karnataka, too absconded soon after the arrest.
NIA sources revealed that Islam’s brother-in-law Hasan had left Bangladesh and arrived in Ramanagara two months before Islam set up his residence.
“Four months ago, Hasan, his wife and children arrived in Ramanagara and rented a house from a man named Ayal Imran in Tipu Nagar. Two months later, Mohammed Jaidul Islam and his family too arrived and rented a house in Troop Lane. Later, Islam managed to bring his mother-in-law and father-in-law, who were also staying in Tipu Nagar,” source said.
Soon after Islam’s arrest, his wife is said to have rushed to Hasan’s house to informed him.
By the time NIA teams reached Hasan’s house, he had absconded along with his family members, Islam’s in-laws and wife.
“Hasan used to sell artificial jewellery. They have two children with them and Islam’s wife is also missing,” source said.
Mohammed Jaidul Islam apparently used different aliases - Muneer, Kausar, Mizan and Booma Mayan. A native of Jamnagar in Bangladesh, he is a suspect in the Bodh Gaya in Bihar and Burdwan blasts in 2014. Islam has been on the run ever since.
On August 2, 2014, a two-storey building belonging to a leader of the Trinamool Congress Noor-ul-Hasan had collapsed after a blast in Burdwan. Two men who had rented this building, Suban Mandal and Shakeel Ahmed, had died during the blast. They were connected to the terror outfit Indian Mujahideen.
The NIA had suspected the role of JUM in the blasts and a chargesheet was filed against 21 people, of which 17 are in prison. The remaining, including Islam, had absconded.
The NIA also suspects Islam’s involvement in the Bodh Gaya blasts.
Islam, who was later apprehended by the Bangladesh police, had escaped police custody and fled to West Bengal. He then made his way to Kerala and then Ramanagara two months ago.
The Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen opened its Indian chapter in West Bengal with the objective of establishing an Islamic State in India. The JMB was started by Bangladesh national Abdur Rehman in 1988.