Guwahati, April 17: In a major development, Assam police have nabbed six people from Barpeta district, whom people claim to have alleged links with Bangladesh-based terror group Ansar-ul Bangla, which in turn is linked with Al-Qaeda in Indian Sub continent (AQIS).
All six arrested are residents of Barpeta district and police claimed they have been ‘radicalised’ and were involved in trying to ‘radicalise’ youth from Barpeta, a top police official added. They have been booked under provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), the authorities said.
The arrested youth are between 28-45 years of age and have been sent to 10-day police remand by a local court.
Police sources added that their arrests took place depending on leads that came out of investigations from another set of arrests in Barpeta last month when five people, including a Bangladeshi national, were booked for alleged links with the same group.
One of them was part of the Popular Front of India (PFI), police sources further added.
“We have recovered 15 mobile phones, 20 SIM cards and other literature from those arrested. We can’t comment on what is incriminating in it, it is being examined, but they have links to the previous arrested people,” said Barpeta Superintendant of Police Amitava Sinha.
NIA has already taken charge of the investigation following the arrest of the previous lot.
