Two arrested in Rayachoti of Andhra Pradesh for suspected terror links
The duo, reportedly brothers, had been living under aliases in Rayachoti for the past three decades.
The Annamayya police said that Tamil Nadu Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) officials undertook the operation against the suspects in many terror cases reported from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
The duo had been living in Kothapalli area and maintaining a low profile, selling saris.
The two siblings are key suspects in the plotting of a series of bomb attacks, particularly the 1995 parcel bomb case. The duo was also wanted in the 2011 Madurai bomb attack plan, targeting veteran BJP leader L.K. Advani's Rath Yatra campaign.
The charges against them included the 2013 Malleswaram BJP office blast in Karnataka, the 1999 serial blasts in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, and the murder of Vellore-based doctor Arvind Reddy in 2012.
Police sources said that the suspects had married women belonging to the Madanapalle division and lived in rented accommodations to escape the police. However, they allegedly remained active in underground extremist operations. With reliable information, the IB team made a secret base in Rayachoti a few months ago and monitored the movements of the suspects. Interestingly, the IB personnel had disguised themselves as street vendors.
After a two-month-long intense surveillance, the ATS sleuths, in coordination with the Annamayya district police, raided their houses and arrested the suspects. The suspects were shifted to Chennai for a detailed probe and reconstruction of scenes in the cases allegedly involving the duo.
The ATS officials were said to have confiscated raw explosive goods, literature related to terrorism, and incriminating documents from their houses of the suspects.
The local residents told the police that the duo would maintain minimal interaction with the neighbourhood and that they used to go outstations frequently.
The portions rented by the accused have been sealed and a police party has been posted there.
Two women hailing from Tsundupalle mandal of Annamayya district, said to be the spouses of the suspects, were also taken into custody for questioning.
Before the operation, the police maintained strict surveillance at the checkposts along the inter-district and inter-State border.
The incident sent shockwaves across the district, particularly against the backdrop of recent communal disturbances in Rayachoti.
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