Date:25/06/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/06/25/stories/2007062551961300.htm

National

Militant involved in kidnap of Khadim co-owner held

Special Correspondent

KOLKATA:

KOLKATA: The arrest of a leading member of a Bangladesh-based militant outfit, the Harkat-ul-Jehad al-Islami, in Lucknow on Saturday has led to suspicion of the existence of a network of its operatives in West Bengal, from where the militant hails.

Jalaluddin alias Amanullah Mandal alias Babu, area commander of the Harkat, was arrested by the Special Task Force of the Uttar Pradesh police. He is expected to be brought here by the State CID officials. A former resident of South 24 Parganas district, Jalaluddin is believed to have played a major role in the abduction of Parthapratim Roy Burman, co-owner of Khadim Shoe Company, in July 2001.

Linked to various terrorist activities in the country, the Harkat is also suspected of being involved in the Masjid blasts in Hyderabad last month. The outfit also reportedly owned responsibility for the attack on the American Center here in January 2002 in which four policemen were killed.

Three suspected Harkat activists were arrested from the city and the surrounding districts over the last two days, sources said. This led the CID to investigate possibilities of the outfit having a wider network in the State through which it inducted fresh recruits as well as smuggled in explosives from across the border. The Harkat operatives are reportedly being trained in militancy and subversive activities in Bangladesh from where they sneak in to India to carry out terrorist activities.