Law finally catches up with Madani

The Karnataka Police on Tuesday arrested Kerala’s Islamist leader and PDP chairman Abdul Nasser Madani, key accused in the 2008 Bangalore bombings case, ending a ten-day drama packed with repeated claims of innocence by the accused, efforts to rouse religious sentiment, imposition of prohibitory orders and one of the largest-ever police mobilizations the State had ever seen.

The arrest took place at noon Tuesday at Anvarssery, his operational base in Kerala’s Kollam district, just when he was about to leave for a nearby court to surrender in order to avoid being caught by the Karnataka Police. He was taken to Bangalore by a Kingfisher Airlines flight from Thiruvananthapuram in the evening.

Madani was arrested by Harshita Attaluri, Superintendent of Police, Kollam, and handed over to a team from Karnataka Police led by Bangalore City Police Commissioner Alok Kumar for executing a non-bailable warrant issued by the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Court, Bangalore. The warrant was to expire on Tuesday.

The PDP workers and followers of Madani tried to block the Karnataka and Kerala police forces inside the Anvarssery campus but they withdrew as the police outnumbered them. Though activists tried to block the road at nearby Karunagappally when Madani was being taken to Thiruvananthapuram later, the protests soon subsided. The PDP called for observation of Black Day State-wide on Wednesday.

Madani was named the 31st accused in the 2008 bombings case by the Karnataka Police on the basis of the statements by LeT’s South India commander Thadiyantavide Nazeer, first accused in the case. The charges against him were criminal conspiracy, incitement of violence and, above all, anti-national activities under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. There were a total of 32 accused in the case.

The Karnataka Police had been trying to arrest Madani since August 10 but the Kerala Police allegedly failed in creating an atmosphere conducive for that citing security reasons despite the LDF Government’s promise to provide all required assistance. A team of the Bangalore Police had been camping in Kollam for the past eight days to execute the warrant.

A huge contingent of police personnel in riot gear broke in to the Anvarssery campus with Harshita Attaluri in the lead and blocked Madani’s vehicle as he was about to leave for the court. She informed the Islamist leader about the warrant and handed him over to the team from Karnataka who took over the vehicle. The arrest took place just an hour before the Supreme Court took up his anticipatory bail plea.

Madani’s arrest came after apprehensions of indefinite delays grew which forced Karnataka Home Minister VS Acharya did some hard talking on Monday evening. He said that Kerala was not cooperating in the required manner. He also said that “other options” would have to be considered if the situation continued.

After the arrest, Kerala Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan of the CPI(M) claimed that the delay could not be avoided as the police had to ensure that foolproof security arrangements were in place. However, sources in the Kerala Police indicated the arrest was delayed as the clearance from the Home Department came late.

The police arrested 36 PDP activists who held protests at the Thiruvananthapuram airport when the police reached there with Madani.