India’s top counter-terror body National Investigation Agency said it has arrested a top absconding militant of Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) in connection with the October 2014 Burdwan blast.
Jahirul Sheikh, a resident of Hayeterpara in Nadia district of West Bengal, was arrested from Indore in Madhya Pradesh on August 11, the NIA said in a statement issued on Tuesday night.
“Sheikh was charge sheeted on July 23, 2015 in the Burdwan blast case for his direct involvement in the conspiracy of Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) to commit terrorist acts and wage a war against the government of India and Bangladesh,” the statement said.
He was charged with relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, Explosive Substance Ac and stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
“The Burdwan blast case is related to large scale conspiracy by JMB to radicalize, recruit and provide training in arms and explosives to its members in India to commit terrorist acts and wage war against the democratically- established governments of India and Bangladesh,” the NIA said.
A large number of IED’s, explosives and handmade grenades were recovered during the investigation into the incident in 2014 and a total of 33 accused have been charge sheeted in this case.
Jahirul Sheikh is a senior leader of JMB’s Nadia module and he had attended a number of training camps conducted by the terror outfit. He was also involved in activities of JMB in India to further its cause, the NIA statement said.
Sheikh was produced before the Judicial Magistrate, First Class, in Indore on August 12 for obtaining transit remand for producing him before the special NIA court in Kolkata where the trial in Burdwan blast case is on.
