TN Police, intelligence agencies on alert after Karnataka blast case witness threatened

Chennai, Dec 1 (IANS) The elite 'Q' branch of the Tamil Nadu Police and central intelligence agencies were on alert after a witness in a case related to bomb blasts in Karnataka was threatened with dire consequences if he deposed against the accused.

K. Aruchamy of R.S. Puram in Coimbatore was a witness in a blast that took place in Malleswaram, Karnataka in 2013 where he was running a pet shop. Aruchamy has now lodged a complaint with the Tamil Nadu Police that he was approached by a person identified as Rashid and that he was threatened with dire consequences if he deposed before the court against the accused.

The accused in the case are Islamic fundamentalists, Kitchen Buhari, Police Fakruddin, Panna Ismail, Valayil Hakkim and Sait who were aligned with a few Islamic outfits that were under the radar of the intelligence agencies.

Aruchamy lodged a complaint with the Coimbatore police on Tuesday after appearing before a court in Karnataka as a witness. The police investigation revealed that the name of the accused was Rahamathullah and charged under Section 506 (i).

The 'Q' branch police have commenced an investigation into whether the Islamists have been threatening the witnesses in cases registered in Tamil Nadu as well. It may be noted that there are several cases registered in Tamil Nadu over murders, arson, injuring people and attacking shops and establishments and many people had deposed before the police and court as witnesses.

The Central agencies have also begun to probe whether such instances had taken place earlier and whether someone has withdrawn from deposing before the court as a witness in cases related to attacks by the Islamists.

After the Coimbatore car blast in which a 29-year-old youth Jameesha Mubin was charred to death on October 23, Diwali eve. On investigation, the police found that Mubin was into a lone wolf attack, and his lack of technical experience in handling a bomb had saved many people as his car exploded much before his designated target.