UP native Gul Nawaz linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba, Kannur native Shoaib a key suspect in 2008 Bangalore blast case were arrested from Trivandrum International Airport.

The central investigation agencies on Monday arrested two persons from Trivandrum International Airport for their suspected links with terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and involvement in the 2008 Bangalore blast case.

The arrested persons have been identified as Gul Nawaz, a native of Uttar Pradesh, and Shoaib alias Fazil, a native of Kondat near Pappinissery, Kannur.

Gul Nawaz was accused of raising funds for the LeT through hawala channels to sponsor terrorist activities in the country, while Shoaib was accused in the 2008 Bengaluru blast case, sources said.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is in charge of the LeT hawala money transaction case, the Anti-Terror Cell of the Bengaluru Police is investigating the 2008 blasts in the southern city.

Sources said both the terror accused were deported from the Gulf and arrested when they landed at the Trivandrum airport. With this, a total of five persons have been arrested for terror suspected cases from Kerala within the last three days.

On Saturday, the NIA had picked three persons from the migrant workers’ settlement in Kochi.

A team of officers from the investigation agencies reached the airport premise in the evening and took the accused into the custody when the Air India repatriation flight (1532) from Riyadh landed in the airport by 6.13 pm. It is learnt that the duo were deported to the country.

Soon after they were taken into the custody, the slueths have questioned them for about 2.30 hours inside the airport. Later they were taken to Kochi for detailed interrogation. It is expected that they would be taken to Delhi and Bangalore after obtaining transit remand on Tuesday.

Nawaz was accused of raising fund for the proscribed LeT from Saudi in a case registered in 2017. The NIA had earlier arrested other accused in the case for their role in funding LeT operative Sheikh Abdul Nayeem alias Sohel Khan who was arrested and chargesheeted earlier for criminal conspiracy to carry out subversive activities in the country.

Shoaib is said to be the Indian Mujahideen (IM) operative and accused in Bangalore blast.

On his Delhi visit, CM said it’s been fruitful. The union government has given nod for many of the state government’s demand.

BENGALURU: Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa who is returning to Bengaluru today said he wants to expand the cabinet before the legislator’s session that will begin on Monday.

Speaking to reporters on Saturday in Delhi before taking a flight to Bengaluru, CM said on Friday he discussed with BJP National President JP Nadda about cabinet expansion. He is expected to discuss the same with prime minister Narendra Modi on Saturday and update BSY by evening. Once he gets the approval he is likely to announce the names by Saturday evening or Sunday.

On his Delhi visit, CM said it’s been fruitful. The union government has given nod for many of the state government’s demand. He also said for many projects and approval, met many union ministers who have positively responded ” he added 

Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai is the fourth minister who tested positive in the last week.

BENGALURU: One minister from BS Yediyurappa’s cabinet tested COVID-19 positive. This time Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai tested positive on Wednesday. Ahead of assembly sessions next week, he is the fourth minister who tested positive in the last week.

In his tweet, Bommai said one of the employees tested positive on Tuesday. “I too got tested and found out to be positive. I have no symptoms. I will be under home Quarantine” he tweeted. On Monday urban development minister tested positive, on the next day, Food and civil Minister tested positive. Animal husbandry minister Prabhu Chavan tested positive last wee

Legislators sessions will begin in Karnataka from September 21 to Sep 30. Due to the ongoing pandemic, they have made it mandatory to get a negative test certificate to attend assembly sessions to all the legislators, officials, and media persons.

In the last couple of months, including CM Yediyurappa, health minister B Sriramulu, Kannada and culture minister CT Ravi, forest minister Anand Singh, cooperative minister ST Somashekar, agriculture minister BC Patil, rural development and panchayath Raj KS Eshwarappa, women and child minister Shashi Kala Jolie were also tested positive. Later they recovered and are back to the field. It can also be noted that the leader of Opposition Siddaramiah and KPCC President D K Shivakumar were also tested positive, both recovered.

This apart deputy CM Dr. Ashwathnarayan, medical education minister Dr. Sudhakar were under isolation after they came in touch with COVID positive people a few weeks back. 

BENGALURU: The Central Crime Branch (CCB) police probing the Sandalwood drug racket case has raided the house of absconding accused Aditya Alva located in Hebbal.

Alva is the son of former Karnataka Minister late Jeevaraj Alva and brother-in-law of Bollywood actor Vivek Oberoi. An accused in the case registered in Cottonpet police station, Alva has been absconding for more 10 days now and police are on the lookout for him. 

As part of the investigation, the CCB police obtained a search warrant and raided Alva’s home named “House of Life”, located in Mariyannanapalya near Hebbal. The place is also used as an event venue.

Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Sandeep Patil said search warrant was obtained from the court and the house was being searched.

Police said that none of the family members were present when the house was raided but they came after knowing about the police raid.

The police have suspected that Alva, who organized parties, allegedly supplied drugs to those parties. Further investigations are on.

Cases have been registered against 15 people so far in this connection and nine arrested, police sources said.

Those arrested in the case, include film actresses Ragini Dwivedi, Sanjjanaa Galrani, party organiser Viren Khanna, realtor Rahul and an RTO clerk B K Ravishankar.

The CCB took up the matter after the Narcotics Control Bureau arrested three people including a woman with a huge cache of synthetic drugs, who were allegedly supplying them to the Kannada film actors and actresses.