CHENNAI, March 31: The unravelling of the free flow of explosives into Tamil Nadu has thrown light on the detailed planning of the Islamic fundamentalist extremists to create havoc in Tamil Nadu, particularly the cities of Coimbatore and Chennai. Investigation has revealed that an estimated over 800 kgs of explosives have been smuggled into Coimbatore from Mysore since last December.Higly placed sources said Al-Umma, the banned fundamentalist outfit, executed a programmed procurement plan to purchase and smuggle into Tamil Nadu the explosives over a period of time. Kutti, an Al-Umma activist of Sathyamangalam played a key role for the group in procuring the materials for the blasts.
Kutti purchased the material from Samjeed Ahmed of Chamraj Nagar near Mysore, who in turn obtained the material from Mohammed Derthageer, manager of Indian Explosives Corporation, a licenced dealer. The explosives were smuggled in cars and buses since December, 1997, to Sathyamangalam in Tamil Nadu from where they werereportedly sent to Coimbatore. (Police arrested Samjeed Ahmed, Kutti and Mohammed Derthageer recently).
Al-Umma activists are said to have conspired to take revenge after the killing of 19 Muslims in Coimbatore. The conspiracy was said to have been hatched by top-rung leaders of the outfit with the knowledge of its chief S A Batcha who was stationed in Chennai. Batcha gave his consent for the conspiracy.
Zakkir Hussain, Mohammed Ansari, Siddique Ali and Nawab Khan (who are some of the hardcore elements of Al-Umma) acted as the link between Batcha and his cadres in Coimbatore. The second-ring leaders are said to have held several meetings in Chennai with Batcha after which the message was conveyed to Al-Umma activists in Coimbatore.
The fundamentalists had planned to bomb several places in Coimbatore and Chennai beginning February 14. It is said that the explosives were procured for nearly Rs one lakh from the dealer in Mysore.After deciding to take revenge, the Al-Umma activists in Coimbatore are saidto have immediately contacted Kutti at Satyamangalam who instructed his friends in Chamraj Nagar and Mysore to despatch the consignment. The procurement was said to have continued for nearly two months after which they decided to target the day BJP president L K Advani visited Coimbatore.
Zakkir Hussain was in charge of assembling the explosives along with Kutti, Basit and Shajahan (all from Coimbatore). The assembling was done in several houses and despatched to be stored at Tirumal Veedhi, Majid colony, Karumbukadai and other places in Coimbatore. Three old cars and seven two-wheelers (six TVS-50 and a TVS-Suzuki motorcycle) were procured by the fundamentalists. These were designed to be vehicle bombs.
While two cars which were used for smuggling the explosives from Mysore exploded in Coimbatore, the bomb placed in another fiat car did not go off.
The fundamentalists decided to target Chennai and despatched about 200 kgs of explosives in two cars and in a state transport corporation bus in earlyFebruary. It is believed that before the fundamentalists could finalise their targets in Chennai, the police chase resulted in unused explosives being thrown away in various places.
Police arrested Rafeed, driver of a tourist car which was seized at Coimbatore. The car was used to transport the explosives. The side-boxes to store the explosives were made at different places in the state. It is learnt that Al-Umma activists had manufactured about 50 side-boxes for use to explode the bombs. Some side-boxes were manufactured at a rice mill at Saliamangalam in Thanjavur district. The mill was also used to assemble pipe bombs. It was only an accidental explosion in the mill which brought to light the intention of the fundamentalists. Police recovered seven side-boxes from the mill.
Zakkir Hussain later came to Chennai with some Al-Umma activists to carry out the plan and arranged houses for stay in the city using his contacts. Police have identified 112 Al-Umma activists connected to the bomb blasts inCoimbatore, of which about 59 have been arrested. Police believe that while some of the accused might be holed up in Chennai, others could have escaped to the neighbouring districts.
Police have not ruled out the theory that fundamentalists procured the explosives from quarry owners in Tamil Nadu. It is said that Aiyesha and her husband Ibrahim, being hunted by the police, did not take part in the conspiracy and were merely among those brought to Chennai to carry out their plans.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
