Kerala didn’t help in terror probe: Karnataka Home Minister

Karnataka Home Minister VS Acharya has said that the Intelligence wing of the Kerala Police had failed to provide assistance to his Government in connection with certain terror-related issues when it was asked for earlier. He also said that there was no situation that called for an NIA probe into the Bangalore bombings of 2008, which were now being investigated by the Karnataka Police.

Talking to a Malayalam television channel in Delhi on Wednesday, he said that the Karnataka Police need not inform their counterparts in Kerala in advance to question or to detain PDP chairman Abdul Nasser Madani, 31st accused in the bombings case.

The Kerala Intelligence had not provided the Karnataka Police the required information either because they did not posses it or they could have deliberately declined to part with it, the channel quoted him as saying.

Acharya said the Karnataka Police would interrogate Madani without delay. He said he could not say now whether Madani would be arrested or taken into custody. Those things were up to the investigating officers to decide, he said. “I am not saying whether he will be detained or arrested. But surely we will have to interrogate him,” Acharya told the TV channel.

The last hurdle for questioning Madani in connection with the 2008 blasts was cleared on Tuesday when the Karnataka High Court dismissed his anticipatory bail application. The Karnataka Home Minister said he was happy about the court’s decision. The Additional Metropolitan Magistrate Court, Bangalore had on Tuesday extended the non-bailable arrested warrant against Madani till August 17.

Asked about Madani’s allegation that the charges against him were the result of a conspiracy, Acharya said that the PDP leader could say whatever he wanted. The Karnataka Police had got enough evidences to proceed against him and they would go ahead with their plan accordingly, he said.

He said he was not keeping any prejudice with respect to Madani and that any attempt to sabotage the case would be resisted. “We cannot come to a conclusion un less we question Madani,” he said.

Responding to Acharya’s allegation about the non-cooperation of Kerala Police, his Kerala counterpart Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said they had not requested for any help in the Madani case at any point of time. “The statement is contrary to the facts,” he said in Thiruvananthapuram, adding that the Kerala Government need not interfere with the probe into a case registered in another state.

Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan and Kodiyeri have already said that the Kerala Government would provide all necessary assistance to the Karnataka Police if they wanted to act against Madani with the Judiciary’s instruction. The Karnataka Police had in June filed a chargesheet on the bombings case in the court naming Madani as the 31st accused in the Bangalore bombings case.

The PDP chairman was charged with unlawful activities, criminal conspiracy and incitement of violence against the nation. He was made and accused primarily on the basis of the statement by LeT’s South India commander Thadiyantavide Nazeer, first accused in the case.

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