Tribune News Service

Haridwar, April 29

A team of the National Investigative Agency (NIA) today arrived in Landaura of Haridwar district in connection with four suspected terrorists arrested in January this year. The arrested youths had links with terror groups and were tasked with carrying out bomb blast during Ardh Kumbh.NIA sleuths went to the house of Azimussan, one of the arrested suspects, and questioned his family members. They also conducted a search operation near the house.The sleuths then headed to the Landaura Railway station where another arrested youth Osama had built a temporary room, near a tubewell, above which they used to store ammunition.An NIA expert also drew a sketch map of the railway station, tubewell, Osama’s room and the nearby area.When mediapersons tried to click photographs of the NIA team, an NIA official on account of secrecy and sensitivity of the case told them not to do so and deleted photos taken by a photographer.SP, Rural, Parmendra Dobhal said the NIA works on its own and hence the district police had nothing to do with the case until the central agency approaches them.Notably, four persons were arrested from Roorkee on January 20, when Adh Kumbh had just begun, for allegedly providing information to terrorists about the Ardh Kumbh security, traffic and other aspects.The initial probe had revealed that the arrested persons were in touch with terrorists through the internet, social media and mobile phone chatting. Laptops, mobile phones and other technical equipment were seized from their possession.All four had done a recce of Har-ki-Pauri, Haridwar railway station, bus station, important government offices, buildings, Mela Control Building near Har-ki-Pauri, important bridges and the public sector undertaking Bharat Heavy Electrical Limited building. They had also surveyed the Roorkee railway station, the Bengal Engineering Group military cantonment area and the Central Building Research Institute. A special Delhi police team in coordination with the Central intelligence agencies had arrested the suspects after getting substantial intelligence inputs of their links with terrorists.