Kokata Police searching for four persons allegedly having links with Bangladesh terror group

Kolkata: Kolkata Police and Bengal Police on Saturday raided several places in Barasat in search of four persons allegedly belonging to a Bangladesh-based terror group and are tipped to carry out a suicide bomb attacks between January 23-26, police officials said here.

Acting on an Intelligence Bureau input, sleuths of Kolkata Police and Bengal Police have initiated a search for four persons allegedly belonging to a Bangladesh-based terror group and trying to carry out a suicide bomb attacks between January 23-26, they said.

According to a top officer in the Kolkata Police Intelligence section, raids were conducted at places in Barasat in the North 24-Parganas, where they were reportedly hiding for the last several days.

While two of them - Anisur Rehman and Mohammed Ansari - were reportedly hiding in Barasat the other two, details of whom were yet to be ascertained, were hiding somewhere in Malda district, the IPS officer told PTI.

"We have conducted raids at places in Barasat today in search of Ansari and Anisur but, could not spot them there. We have initiated searches in other parts of the state also," another officer at the Barrackpore Commissionerate said.

It was learnt that the Centre had alerted West Bengal and all other states on January 18 about a possible terror strike by Bangladesh-based Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir (HuT) at 23 different locations across India.

"The group is planning bomb and suicide attacks some time this weekend till January 26," an officer of the Bengal Police said quoting the alert.

In view of the input, security has been stepped up at various places of public attraction in the state such as Kalighat temple, Victoria Memorial, all railway stations including Howrah and Sealdah, Howrah Bridge, Jubilee Bridge, Metro Railway stations and Dakshineswar temple.

Investigations revealed that Rehman and Ansari sneaked into the India from Bangladesh some time last week taking the Ghojadanga border route.

Incidentally, the warning coincided with the arrest of nine foreigners from a rented house in Kankinara of North 24-Parganas districts last week (January 15).

Sources in Bengal Police said they had a tip-off about around 15 "unknown" persons staying at a rented house in Kankinara.

After a brief scan of their behaviour, which appeared quite suspicious, the sleuths first detained all of them and after interrogation, arrested nine for not having valid documents to stay here.