Two SIMI activists arrested

GANDHINAGAR - Two suspected SIMI activists, one of them with a record of terror involvements, have been arrested from Ahmedabad with arms and ammunition, the Crime Branch said Monday night.

The arrests bear significance because of the high profile Jagannath Rath Yatra slated to be taken out in Ahmedabad Tuesday. Interrogation of the two is on to check if they had any dubious plans in view of the religious procession.

The two identified as Abu Fakir Siddiqui, 34, and Hasib Raza alias Shamim Saiyed, 43, were picked up on a tip off from near Prem Darwaza in Ahmedabad when they were going on a motor cycle Sunday night. “An airgun, a locally made firearm and 17 live cartridges have been seized from them,” Deputy Commissioner of Police crime branch Himanshu Shukla said.

According to the police, the two had been living in Ahmedabad for sometime now with their families. Abu Fakir hails from Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh while Hasib is from Patna and is a known anti-social of Bihar.

Hasib has been involved in the plot to blow up the Howrah Bridge in Kolkata and had also been arrested in Jalgaon in Maharashtra after he was found involved in sending people to Pakistan clandestinely for terror related training. He had earlier held a senior position in SIMI.

A case has been registered under the Arms Act against the two and they will be produced in court Tuesday for police remand for further investigation.