Email
Print
ShareBangalore: It is suspected that Saba conducted a recce of the city before the December 28, 2005 attack.
"Since Saba is the main accused, we have to wait for the Mumbai trials to be completed, which will take a very long time. We had tried to get a body warrant for Saba when he was in Lucknow jail last year. But it was rejected since he was standing trial there. The Mumbai attacks took place after this and hence we cannot put Saba on trial here," an officer with the state anti-terror cell said.
Incidentally, it has been alleged that police forces in both Uttar Pradesh and Bangalore overlooked that fact that Saba and Fahim were carrying the maps of Mumbai when they were arrested. The maps were found only after the Mumbai attacks. It is now suspected that Saba conducted a recce of Mumbai in 2006.
At the IISc, a lone terrorist sprayed bullets at the delegates of an international conference, killing one, MS Puri, professor emeritus of IIT-Delhi, and injuring three others. The terrorist, who fired indiscriminately from his automatic rifle, escaped after the nefarious act.
Though the attack at the IISc was the first terror strike on Bangalore, terrorists had earlier sought shelter in the city. On August 19, 1991, seven LTTE cadres associated with the assassination of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, consumed cyanide to escape being caught.
On September 29, 2002, Tamil Nadu police commandos shot dead five suspected terrorists, including a woman, belonging to Al-Umma, in Bangalore. The 90 minute commando operation was in connection with the serial blasts in Coimbatore.
