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The National Investigation Agency is conducting searches at 20 places across several states in connection with a case linked to the hurling of a bomb at the RSS office in Ranchi, according to officials.
The officials stated that the searches are being conducted across 5 locations in Uttar Pradesh, 3 locations in Maharashtra, 2 in Delhi and one each in Bihar, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Gujarat, Telengana and West Bengal. The searches come after all three men arrested for a petrol bomb attack on a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) office in Ranchi, Jharkhand, on Tuesday (June 16) were linked to the ISI-funded Tehreek-e-Taliban Hindustan and were radicalised in Dubai, sources said. Sources said Saif Ansari and Aman Ansari travelled to Dubai, where they came in contact with Shahbaz Rana alias Bhatti, a Pakistani national. "Subsequently, they got radicalised and agreed to spread TTH's anti-India activities," sources had said. The accused stayed in constant touch with handlers through the 'Botim app', which functions in Dubai, and WhatsApp, sources said, adding that after the attack, they filmed the incident on their mobile phones and sent the video to their handler. SSP Ranchi Rakesh Ranjan had said the three arrested were identified as Saif Ansari, Aman Ansari and Sayam Sujan. Police tracked them using technical evidence and a Rapido cab used in the incident, and arrested them with help from Bokaro and Koderma police as they were fleeing. "On 16 June, an incident occurred where some unknown criminals threw a petrol bomb at the RSS office in Nivaranpur. Although no damage was caused, given the sensitivity of the incident, we were all actively involved. When we began the investigation based on technical and other evidence, we discovered that a Rapido cab had been used by the criminals in this incident. After we zeroed in on the criminals, as they were fleeing, we, with the help of the Bokaro and Koderma police, arrested them," the SSP informed earlier. Ranjan had said the case be transferred to Jharkhand ATS as the investigation has revealed "international and terror links". Police also said more arrests are possible as they probe the wider network and funding. He said the accused who threw the petrol bomb tried to escape twice from the Kotwali police station lockup. "During the preliminary interrogation, we uncovered some important links, including some international ones. We are currently investigating them. We recommended to Police Headquarters that any investigation into this case be conducted by the ATS. Further investigations into this case will be conducted by the ATS. One of these three criminals, the one who threw the petrol bomb, basically tried to escape from the lockup. He was being interrogated in the Kotwali police station lockup. We caught him at the Commander's checkpoint. After being caught, he tried to escape again. He snatched the police officer's weapon and opened fire, attacking the police officers. We also fired at him in self-defence, and he was shot in the leg. He is currently undergoing treatment," SSP Ranjan said. "A total of three people, identified as Saif Ansari, Aman Ansari, and Sayam Sujan, have been arrested. Besides these, there are some other links that will be investigated. There are only two motives for any incident. One is to spread the rumour, and the other is to harm social harmony in any way possible," he added. (ANI)
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