Kolkata/Behrampore: On a day when the Assam STF came to Bengal in a bid to take his custody and question him in jail, the Bengal STF moved court on Monday and took a Khagragarh blast accused, Tarikul Islam alias Suman, into their custody. A Murshidabad court allowed Tarikul’s police custody till Jan 13.
Tarikul has beenin jail as an active JMB member,
Bengal STF sources claimed that they now have evidence that Tarikul was involved in passing instructions to Sajibul Islam (24) and Mustakim Mondal (26), who were arrested on Dec 31 by Bengal Police. Incidentally, Sajibul is the cousin of ABT’s Indian operations chief Saad Sk (arrested earlier in Kerala by Assam STF).
“It was Bengal STF that arrested the two men who worked both for Ansarullah Bangla Team and JMB. It was their questioning which led us to Tarikul. We have evidence that Tarikul passed information on logistics and possible hideouts to the ABT module. How and when he did so is what we want to decipher. We are ascertaining if Tarikul was part of the plan where Sagardighi thermal power project too was discussed as a primary target,” said a top STF official.
The Assam STF sources also said they came to Berhampore jail to question Tarikul on whether he was helping ABT members across Bengal, Assam, and Tripura to find logistical support despite being an active JMB member.
Recently, as part of the anti-terror operation, the Khagragarh incident has repeatedly come up.
Intelligence sources indicate that those who were earlier with JMB are plotting another major act of sabotage after switching to the ABT terror outfit.