A suspected militant, wanted in various cases, including a letter bomb case, was arrested at the airport in Chennai on Tuesday, police said.
A suspected militant, wanted in various cases, including a letter bomb case, was arrested at the airport in Chennai on Tuesday, police said.
Haroon Ismail (32), an activist of the banned Al-Umma, which allegedly plotted the 1998 Coimbatore blasts, was arrested this morning on specific information, police said.
More than 50 persons were killed in the Coimbatore blasts.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the CB-CID wing of Tamil Nadu Police, which arrested Ismail, said he was a "hardcore" Al-Umma activist.
He was wanted in various cases of murder and a letter bomb case dating back to 1997 which killed the wife of a Hindu Munnani functionary, an SIT release said.
Ismail, who was at large since 2006, was arrested from the international terminal of the airport here upon his arrival from Bangkok by a private airline, it said.
He was involved in a "conspiracy" to eliminate a Hindu Munnani functionary in Nagapattinam, Muthukrishnan, and a Myladuthurai BJP leader, Jegaveerapandian, and had sent them letter bombs, the release said.
Muthukrishnan's wife Thangam was killed when the letter was delivered to her. Police managed to recover a similar letter sent to Jegaveerapandian, the release said.
Ismail and seven other accused were arrested in connection with the 1997 case and were attending legal proceedings at a Special Court at Poonamallee near here.
Later in 2006, after being granted bail, Ismail "absconded" and it was revealed that he had fled to Dubai and was employed with a private firm. A non-bailable warrant (NBW) is pending against him.
Lookout notices were also issued against him, the release said, adding that police officers were also liaisoning with immigration officers.
He was subsequently arrested in the wee hours of Tuesday.
Meanwhile, high ranking police officers said, that Ismail had come to Chennai to take part in a family function.
"He was unaware of the look out notice issued against him and landed in police net after travelling on the same passport he used to fly to Dubai," officers said.
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