11 with suspected links to LeT, HUJI held in Karnataka

In a major operation, city police have arrested eleven persons with suspected links to terror outfits Lashkar-e-Taiba and HUJI and claimed to have foiled their plot to target MPs, MLAs and mediapersons in Karnataka.

A foreign made 7.65 mm pistol, seven rounds of ammunition and other gadgets were seized from the arrested, City Police Commissioner Jyotiprakash Mirji said along with DGP L R Pachau.

The arrested included a journalist of an English daily, police sources said.

Mirji said all the arrests were made by CCB police yesterday in Hubli in north Karnataka and Bangalore after gathering intelligence inputs for several days.

He denied reports about involvement of Uttar Pradesh police in the operation.

"It was a meticolously planned operation by CCB. The arrested had links with banned outfits like LeT and HUJI", Mirji said but refused to share further details remarking "in the interest of the security, case and investigations no more details can be shared at this stage".

The arrested, all aged below 30, planned to target Mps, MLAs and prominent journalists, he said.

He said cases under IPC sections 120 B (criminal conspiracy), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion), 307 (attempt to murder), 379 (theft) and under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and Arms Act have been registered against the arrested.

Initial reports had said the four suspected Indian Mujahiddin activists involved in the 2010 Chinnaswamy stadium blast case were picked up by police.

According to highly placed police sources, one of the arrested had been trained in a Gulf country by the LeT on operating the terror module.

The gang was getting funds from a Gulf country, the sources said adding that some cash had also been seized.

A laptop seized from one of the arrested has information about their targets who included a Bajrang Dal functionary, BJP MP from Hubli Prahallad Joshi, a mediahouse owner and two journalists.

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