Karnataka Police are seeking the help of Interpol to extradite from Saudi Arabia three terror suspects wanted for their alleged role in planning to attack noted politicians, religious heads and media persons in the state, a senior police official said on Sunday.
"We are in the process of approaching Interpol to issue Red Corner notices against the three suspects, including one from Hyderabad, as we have secured non-bailable warrants against them from a local court here," the official posted with the deputy commissioner of police (crime) said on the condition of anonymity.
The three are: Mohammad Abdul Majeed, 47, Usman Ghani 32, and Mohammad Shaheed Faisal, 27, who are currently in the Saudi kingdom. Majeed is the elder of two other brothers - Mohammed Abdul Shaheed and Mohammed Shaheed Faisal, who were killed in Pakistan in August 2007 for being involved in terror activities.
"We have requested the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to issue the Interpol Red Corner notices to extradite the trio from Saudi Arabia. We want to interrogate them for their alleged links with other 18 terror suspects who were arrested Aug 29-Sept 3 for allegedly plotting to assassinate some prominent politicians, senior journalists and religious leaders in the state," the official said.
Among the terror suspects, 12 were arrested in Bangalore, two from Hubli, about 410 km from here, two from Hyderabad and four from Nanded in Maharashtra.
"Interrogation of the terror suspects revealed that the trio was involved in hiring activists of the banned Student Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) outfit for carrying out terror attacks in the state," the official added.
"The two youths from Hubli were sent to Pakistan in December 2011 for training and joining the terror elements of Afghanistan such as the Taliban," the official noted.
Ghani, a doctor from Bangalore, was allegedly detained on October 8 at Riyadh by Saudi police at the behest of the Indian government and on the advice of the state police, according to his mother here.
Ghani went to Saudi Arabia in late 2008 to join the National Guard military hospital at Riyadh as an anaesthetist after working three years at St John's hospital and three months at Apollo hospital in Bangalore. He also worked earlier at Seventh Day Adventist Hospital at Ottapalam in Kerala for 10 months.
Faisal, alias Zakeer and alias Ustad however, had no previous police record.
A Red Corner notice has already been issued against the fourth person named Farhatullah Ghori, 49, from Hyderabad for allegedly sending two of the recruited youth to Pakistan for training in carrying out terror acts in the country.