Mastermind of TN terror module held in Chennai

Police took into custody the alleged mastermind of the terror network from a prison in Chennai for interrogation.

Stepping up investigations into the conspiracy by a terror module to carry out bomb attacks on key installations in Tamil Nadu, police on Wednesday took into custody the alleged mastermind of the network from a prison in Chennai for interrogation.

Ali Abdullah, who is serving a life sentence in a blast case in the suburban Puzhal prison, is suspected to have hatched the plot from there to blast the ‘Anna’ flyover here, besides attacks on the Collectorate at Tirunelveli as well as Trains, the police said.

Abdullah’s involvement came to light after the arrest of his associate Sheikh Abdul Gafur, the main accused, from whose house in Tirunelveli police recovered explosive materials.

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Abdullah tried to destroy vital evidence by chewing two SIM cards when police raided his cell few days ago. Police, who recovered the SIMs, are now trying to retrieve some data, the sources said.

“Since the circuit inside the SIM cards are completely interconnected, the extent of damage to them alone can determine whether the data can be retrieved,” technical experts said.

Meanwhile, police have released Mohammed Badsha of Tirunelveli, the electrician picked up by them on charges of supplying accessories to Sheikh Abdul Gafur.

Badsha “was not part of the conspiracy,” and had little knowledge that he was supplying these accessories for a possible terror attack, the sources said.