Sabarimala seasonal trader key accussed in arms seizure

Key accused arrested in connection with the arms seizure

Source:www.newindpress.com

KOCHI: The police formally arrested Abdul Rahim, 40, of A R Manzil, Thamarakkulam, Mavelikkara, on Wednesday night in connection with the arms seizure.

A seasonal trader at Erumeli during the Sabarimala pilgrimage, he has been listed as the prime accused in the case. Abdul Rahim will be produced in the First Class Magistrate Court at Ponkunnam on Thursday.

Shaji, 42, of Karukkasseri house, near Pulimkunnu, Alappuzha, the second accused in the case and a close associate of Abdul Rahim, is absconding, said DySP N.Ramachandran. He said that the possible terrorist or political links involved in the case could be traced only through the arrest of Shaji. Abdul Rahim is only a small link, he said.

The police had delayed the arrest of Abdul Rahim for two days, though he had been under interrogation by various agencies since the seizure, in the hope that Shaji too can be arrested and the nexus between the two in real terms can be exposed. But Shaji went into hiding soon after the seizure news spread.

Dasakumaran, who had already been arrested by the Palakkad police, is the third accused in the case. The police said that Dasakumaran and Shaji have close links. Shaji runs a weapon hardware shop at Kozhenchery.

Thankaraj, an auto driver with whom the arrested Abdul Rahim had come to collect arms on Monday, was also interrogated. The police said that Thankaraj has been eliminated from the case since he has nothing to do with the operations.

The police will be moving an application in the court on Thursday to get Abdul Rahim in custody, the DySP said.