Ransom call to businessmen from jail; wife of terror suspect arrested

Bengaluru: The wife of a terror suspect has been arrested, after a Shivamogga-based entrepreneur got a threatening call from Parapana Agrahara central jail in Bangalore.

For the last few months, there were reports of Shivamogga-based entrepreneurs getting phone calls from the Bangalore central jail at Parappana Agrahara, demanding money. These calls were untraced. A particular call, said to have been made by Rowdy Bachchan, had caught a lot of attention. Recently, a case had been registered in the cybercrime division in Shivamogga about a businessman getting repeated threat calls from Hebbettu Manja.

The personnel of the Cybercrime, Economic Offences and Narcotics (CEN) police station have succeeded in cracking this case. The police have come to know that the person who made call to the Shivamogga businessman was a suspected terrorist. The businessman had filed complaint in CEN police station here after he received threatening calls from Bangalore Central jail. As the calls were made through WhatsApp, the police could not make much headway in investigation.

Meanwhile, the CEN police who collected details from the entrepreneur learnt that the amount collected was transferred to an account number held in the name of a relative of the man who made the threatening call.

The police then began to investigate the source of the account. They got the address of a lady from Bhatkal. The police who got lead took Saira Banu, letter of authority holder of the said account, into custody. During her questioning, Saira revealed that her husband happens to be Saddam Husain, a terror suspect. Saddam Hussain is an accused in the church street Bengaluru blasts. He faces the charge of providing gelatin to those who triggered the blasts. Saddam Hussain also faces the charge of burning the motorbikes in Bhatkal and having contacts with several terrorists.

The police who thought that the call made in the name of Hebbettu Manja have got to know that it was Saddam Hussain. The police suspect that Bhadravathi Naga, who has been lodged in the same jail, may have joined hands with Saddam Hussain. They therefore want to take into custody Naga and Saddam to question them.

These incidents have raised doubts over rowdy sheeters, other criminals being hand in glow with terror suspects, which is not good for the public. Even though the prison authorities have been claiming that the prison cells were raided and several phones were seized. Still there is an access to mobile phone and jammers seems to be of no use. An investigation of how the terror suspect in Bangalore central jail could make a call and other things connected to the case is being investigated by the police.