PDP chief Maudany arrested, to be flown to Bangalore (Second lead, Changing dateline)

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - Ending eight days of suspense, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chief Abdul Nazir Maudany was Tuesday arrested for his alleged involvement in the 2008 Bangalore bombings amid emotional scenes at the orphanage run by him as a large number of children wept and kissed him goodbye.

Maudany was arrested by a posse of Karnataka and Kerala police as he stepped into a Matador van to proceed to the court to surrender. He is to be flown to Bangalore in the evening.

Earlier, he called a press conference at his residence-cum-party headquarters at Anwarassery near Kollam which also houses a mosque and an orphanage, and announced that he would surrender before a court after finishing his noon prayers.

After praying for about 15 minutes, emotional scenes were seen when a large number of the children in the orphanage kissed him and bid goodbye.

Coming out of the mosque in his wheel chair, Maundany was lifted and put inside the vehicle with his wife and two sons and some party office bearers accompanying him.

The van had just begun to move when a huge contingent of Kerala police officials led by Kollam Superintendent of Police Harshita Ataloori surrounded the van. Karnataka police official Omkarayyah got into the vehicle and told Maudany that he has been arrested and they have a warrant from a court in Bangalore.

The police asked all except Maudany’s wife and sons to alight from the vehicle.

A police driver took charge of the wheel, while a woman police official also got into the vehicle besides a few other police officials.

Maudany was driven to the airport from where he is expected to be flown to Bangalore in the evening. The police asked for extra security at the airport here and a separate lounge has been readied.

He is expected to be flown in a Kingfisher flight at 7.30 p.m., sources said.

Karnataka Home Minister V.S. Acharaya Monday had expressed anguish over the delay on the part of the Kerala government in helping his police officials execute the warrant.

Meanwhile, Kerala Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan told reporters at Kozhikode that the Karnataka director general of police had called up to thank the Kerala police chief.

Maudany, the 31st accused in the 2008 Bangalore bomb blast case, denied his involvement in the bombing in which one person was killed and 15 were injured.

Maudany told reporters that it was a “conspiracy hatched politically”. He reiterated that he was innocent.

“I don’t think I will return from Karnataka,” Maudany said.

“You now wait and see. Once I am there in Karnataka, you should not be surprised if my name features in a case in Gujarat or even the Mumbai bomb blasts and even in the World Trade Centre blast,” he said.

He also thanked the state government for showing “mature behaviour by not barging into the orphanage” he has set up in his residence.