The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday visited Sithio village and pasted a notice declaring two IM suspects — Taufiq and Numan Ansari — allegedly involved in Patna serial blasts a proclaimed absconder under Section 82 of CrPC. They are still evading arrest. NIA sleuths were accompanied by Dhurwa police.
“The NIA team visited our village and pasted the notice at a place from where it can be easily seen by people. The team stayed for around half-an hour at the village,” said a source. The team of NIA reportedly interrogated the family members of both, Numan and Taufiq, during their stay at the village. The team visited the village at 1 pm. “There were few women and elderly people at the houses when the team visited,” said the source.
Notably, legal procedure entails seizing property of the accused after one month from the day of pasting the notice of absconding. Relatives of both the accused have been communicated by the police about the process so as to exert pressure on them and the absconders to surrender.
Meanwhile, the agency is said to have arrested one suspect from Nayasarai in Bathana under Nagri police station in connection with Patna serial blast. The NIA team on a tip-off raided the place and arrested one Mohammad Azad from the area. The police, however, did not confirm the arrest made by the agency.
“No such arrest has been made by the NIA (in connection with the Patna blast),” said Ranchi SSP Bhim Sen Tuti. However, sources said Azad who hails from Deoghar in Jharkhand was reportedly staying with his relatives in Nayasarai. Azad was arrested in a raid conducted by NIA and is said to be taken to an undisclosed location for interrogation in connection with blasts at BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi’ rally in Patna.
According to sources, following a tip-off about Azad, SP NIA Sanjeev Kumar constituted a team of NIA officials to conduct raid. Incidentally, the NIA has been on its toes since the October 27 blast that led to a series of arrests of members of notorious IM operatives from Ranchi and adjoining areas. More than half a dozen people had died in the blasts.