ANational Investigating Agency team was attacked by villagers on Tuesday while they visited the house of terror suspect Imtiaaz in Sithio, some 15 kms from Ranchi. The visit was in connection with interrogation relating to Patna serial blasts, which took place a few hours ahead of BJPs Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi on October 27, 2013.
The NIA team was carrying Indian Mujahideen (IM) operative and mastermind of Patna serial blasts Tehseen Akhtar alias Monu with them who were visiting the house of another suspected IM operative accused in the case -- Imtiaaz for investigations.The villagers alleged that the team was unnecessarily bothering the ladies in the house and even pulled their scarf out of their faces, due to which the villagers went violent and started pelting stones on team. The team had to leave the place immediately which later took shelter at Dhurwa Police Station.
“Imtiaaz’s father told that the team was misbehaving with the ladies in the house and wanted them to identify the person brought with them. When the ladies refused to identify him the person whom they did not know, they started pulling off their scarf leading to a scuffle,” said the village headman Shankar Kaccchap.
According to Kacchap, when the ladies started shouting inside the house, the villagers gathered around started shouting against the team which later turned violent and started pelting stones on the team members. Sensing the seriousness of the matter, the team left the place immediately and took shelter in Dhurwa Police Station, added Kaccchap.
Sources however, said that Tehseen admitted in front of Imtaaz’s family members that he had visited the place once, which was out-rightly rejected by the family members leading to the dispute between the team and ladies of the family.Earlier, in evening, the team also visited several places along with the Tehseen to identify the places and the people whom he had visited in order to get some clues in the investigation process. When the media persons started following them, they requested not to interfere in the investigation process which was agreed to. Reportedly, no one has been arrested so far by the team, while the police is keeping silence sharing no information on the issue.
The team is accompanied by RAF jawans as well as the local police headed by Kotwali DSP Deepak Ambashtha. The team is likely to stay back in the night at Khukhri guest house.Tehseen allegedly belongs to the Darbhanga module of the banned terrorist outfit. He was said to be heading IM operations in India after Yasin Bhatkal’s arrest in August last year. Akhtar is believed to have masterminded the serial blasts in Patna and Gaya.