Wanted arms-dealer, two others arrested in Hyderabad

A notorious inter-state weapons dealer, wanted in connection with supplying firearms to terror suspect and founder of militant outfit Tahreek Galba-e-Islam (TGI) Viqaruddin Ahmed, was arrested along with two others for allegedly dealing in firearms illegally in Hyderabad today, police said.

Arms dealer Vinod Kumar Sahu, a native of Jhansi of Uttar Pradesh, was apprehended along with N Murali of Krishna district and G Ganesh of West Godavari district, who had come here to buy weapons, from Bowenpally, Hyderabad police commissioner AK Khan told reporters.

Police seized two fire arms and six live rounds from the trio, he said.

Accused Sahu, who was earlier lodged in Musheerabad jail here, had developed friendship with rowdy sheeters and property offenders and after his release in 2001 supplied weapons from Jhansi to some Hyderabad-based criminals, Khan said.

Later, one Omer Shameem of Hyderabad approached Sahu in 2003 along with two others - Imran and Viqaruddin - and procured a country made tamancha and 20 live rounds, which Viqaruddin used in committing robbery at Santoshnagar e-Seva centre in 2003 and robbed an amount of Rs1.60 lakh, he said adding "after releasing from jail, Sahu continued to supply fire arms illegally to criminals."

Viqaruddin alias Viqar, who allegedly killed two policemen and injured as many in Hyderabad besides killing a constable in Ahmedabad in 2007, was arrested along with six of his associates in July this year. All of them are presently under judicial custody.