Photo: R. Eswarraj
Mangaluru: Bengaluru police have arrested a man from Bhatkal for alleged terror links.
The person, said to be identified as Riyaz (32), a resident of Makhdoom Colony, Bhatkal was arrested from Mangalore International Airport at around 11.30 pm on Saturday January 10.
Riyaz was about to board the Jet Airways flight to Dubai when he was apprehended by the Bengaluru police.
It is said that the Bengaluru police with the help of Mangaluru CCB police arrested Riyaz based on the alleged information provided by the three persons from Bhatkal who were arrested on January 8.
He has been taken to Bengaluru for further investigation, sources said.
‘He’s innocent’
Khaja Sayeedi, the father of Riyaz Ahmed, said that the arrest of his son has surprised him.
Riyaz was working at a hardware shop there. Sayeedi said that he had come home on December 8. Riyaz’s wife had delivered a baby girl 18 days ago. He was married 18 months ago. He had been living in Dubai for the last 10 years.
“Riyaz was supposed to return to Dubai three days ago, but as we had no money for the ticket, his journey got postponed. We came to know about his arrest only through the media,” he said.
Sayeedi claimed that his son was innocent and that he never indulged in such activities and that he had been arrested without any reason.
Muslim body wants CCB, NIA to come clean on raids
Majlis-e-Islah wa Tanzeem, a social organisation run by Bhatkal Muslims, has sought to know why local leaders were not taken into confidence if the raid party knew that explosives were stored in a house in the town. Why were neighbours and the local media not informed during the raids, the Tanzeem wants to know.
It has sought to know what did the bag taken inside the house, with the help of the local police, contain. What was the need for the raid party to remain inside the small house for seven to eight hours by closing the door? the Tanzeem questioned.
It now plans to submit memorandum to the chief minister.
