Ex-Al-Umma men involved in Advani bomb case'

Two former hardcore members of banned terror outfit Al-Umma have been identified as the brain behind the plot to target the convoy of BJP leader L K Advani during his yatra near here and a manhunt is on to nab them, Special Investigation Team officials said today.

"Police" Fakruddin and Bilal Mallick, close associates of slain terrorist Imam Ali, had started hatching the conspiracy as the schedule of Advani's yatra was announced early last month, they said.

The STF suspect that the two were hiding in either Bangalore or Andhra Pradesh and special teams have been sent there for investigation, the officials said.

Fakruddin, son of a retired police constable, was involved in a blast case at Ovamalai in the district in 2002, in which Imam Ali was arrested. He had helped Ali to escape when he was being taken to the Palayamkottai prison. Ali, a dreaded terrorist, was killed in an encounter in Bangalore in 2002.

Bilal Malik was one of the accused in the murder of Hindu Makkal Katchi leader Kalidass five years ago. When he was in Vellore Prison he had attacked the jailer and a case was still pending, police said.

A powerful pipe bomb was unearthed from under a bridge and defused on October 27 at Alampatti village, about 30 km from here, on the route of Advani's yatra.

Police on Nov 1 arrested Ismath and Abdullah Rahman, both city residents, and detained one Usman Ali yesterday in connection with the incident.

STF officials said Ismath and Rahman were only perpetrators who had given their vehicles. "It was information about the motorbike of Ismath, a watermelon seller, which was noticed continuously for three days on the bridge at Alampatti, that helped police to nab the two culprits," they said.

Fakruddin and Mallick had taken the help of Ismath and Rahman, thinking that police would not suspect them as they were not in any organisation.

Rahman had helped in hiring an autorickshaw to bring the explosives without raising any suspicion.

"Only if Fakruddin is arrested, we will know from where they had procured the lethal chemical 'Power gel90' and other details," the officials said adding police were confident of arresting the two in a week's time.

Explosives found under the bridge on Advani’s yatra route

In a security scare, explosives were found under a bridge on the route that was to be taken by senior BJP leader LK Advani in Madurai district of Tamil Nadu on Friday.

As per initial reports, two explosives in the form of pipe bombs were found hidden under a bridge in Tirumangalam, near to the spot where Advani was scheduled to address a rally.

The security personal recovered the explosives just 20 minutes before Advani was to pass through the route. Following the recovery, the yatra route was altered so as to avoid the stretch.

The police have cordoned off the entire area and are conducting combing operations.

As per reports, Advani was informed about the recovery of explosives but he chose to carry on with the yatra.

Day 2 of Advani’s Jan Chetna Yatra

BJP leader LK Advani on Wednesday said he was ridiculed by the Congress for raising the black money issue.

Addressing the press at Patna’s Gandhi Maidan, Advani said the UPA government has failed to tackle the black money issue.

While saying the issue never been pursued previously, the BJP leader demanded that the government reveal the names of Indians who have stashed black money in foreign havens.

He added that the opposition NDA will benefit from UPA’s poor performance in the next elections.

Advani was speaking on day two of his Jan Chetna Yatra which he started from Sitab Diara village in Bihar yesterday. From Patna, the senior BJP leader who has undertaken five rath yatras in the past will today move to Danapur and then to Ara and Buxar before entering Uttar Pradesh.

Advani overnight stayed in Bihar’s capital Patna. Advani today also said that he had not seen such a reception to any of his previous yatras as the one witnessed in Bihar.

The BJP leader’s Jan Chetna Yatra will take him through 100 districts in 38 days - and hopefully closer towards power in the next general election.

On Tuesday, he called for a "brighter India" free of corruption. He further asked people to take an oath that they would oppose graft and rising prices.

He also said yesterday that his party will force the government to bring back illegal money stashed abroad.

Political analysts feel that Advani chose popular themes like corruption and black money for his sixth rath yatra to avoid any controversy, as during his 1990 campaign for a Ram temple at Ayodhya.

Advani has since been on five similar campaigns for varying causes, but none as successful as the Somnath-Ayodhya Ram Rath Yatra.

The public awareness campaign will see Advani cover about 300 km a day in his special rath, a modified bus.