More arms seized, suspected militant taken to Hampi

The police yesterday have recovered a cache of arms and ammunition from the Hampi residence of suspected militant Imran alias Bilal, who was caught by the Bangalore police on Friday.

According to sources, a team of policemen searched Imran’s residence as well shop in Hampi yesterday and seized arms and ammunition including hand-grenades. “The seizures were made on the basis of information provided by the suspected terrorist”, a senior police official said.

Meanwhile, Imran was produced before the court in Bangalore and remanded to police custody for two days. Soon after securing his police custody, a team of policemen left for Hampi, about 350 kms from Bangalore, for further investigation into the Imran’s activities.

A team of policemen in Bangalore had caught Imran early on Friday while he was alighting from a private bus, carrying an AK 47 rifle and several rounds of live cartridges, besides a satellite phone.

According to police sources, Imran is a resident of Kolipora in Khayanar police station limits in Srinagar, had had moved into the Hampi about three years ago. He was running a handicrafts shop by name “Rising Sun Arts and Crafts” to sell decorative stones and art pieces in front of the Virupaksha Temple at the world heritage site of Hampi.

The owner of the shop Shivappa told reporters that Imran was prompt in paying the rent while Imran’s assistant at the shop Aslam Pasha, a native of Gadag in Karnataka, said he had not reason to suspect that his boss had links with terrorists. “I have been working for three years and never suspected that my boss could have links with terrorists”, he said.
Imran used to stay at Hampi with his wife, who has now gone to the her mother’s place for delivery of a baby