The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday arrested a man from Kerala wanted for his role in conducting a terror camp in Kannur district of the State in 2013. Officials said a team from NIA’s Kochi unit arrested KV Abdul Jaleel (41) in the wee hours from a house in Narath area where his wife was staying. He is expected to be produced before a special NIA court in Kochi.
The case pertains to the conduct of a secret training camp in Narath area by Popular Front of India (PFI) operatives. The men were trained inside a building owned by Thanal Foundation Trust in use of swords and explosives for executing terror attacks.
“He is accused in the case relating to a criminal conspiracy to impart training to cadres of PFI/SDPI (Popular Front of India/Social Democratic Party of India) in use of explosives and weapons. He was an office bearer of Thanal Foundation Trust that had provided its building for conducting the traning camp at Narath, in Kannur district of Kerala on April 24, 2013,” said NIA ‘s Press release.
Jaleel was the officiating chairman of the foundation. A non-bailable warrant issued by the court and a look Out Circular were pending against him in the case, the officials said. The agency has also picked up another person, identified as Shihab, along with Jaleel for questioning. A special NIA court in Kerala had early this year convicted 21 men of PFI in the case.
The court had found them guilty under several charges, including criminal conspiracy, membership of unlawful assembly, possession of arms and explosive substances, inciting communal disharmony, assertions prejudicial to national integration besides organising a terrorist camp.