Kolkata Police's STF arrests JMB's India head

Sleuths say Ejaz Ahmed had an active role in the 2012 Burdwan blast case and 2013 Bodh Gaya blast.

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Kolkata: In a major breakthrough for the Kolkata Police's Special Task Force (STF), the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) Amir - the head of the unit in India, Ejaz Ahmed was arrested from Bihar.

Ahmed, a 30-year-old resident of Parui, Birbhum district of West Bengal had joined the banned terrorist outfit - JMB in 2008. Sleuths say he had an active role in the 2012 Burdwan blast case and 2013 Bodh Gaya blast.

"We have arrested Ejaz Ahmed from Bihar and he has been booked under sections - 120B/ 130 IPC r/w 4/5 Explosive Substances Act," said a senior official of STF.

Two factions of the JMB were created in 2016 after Kausar and Salahuddin, former Amir of JMB in India fell out with each other. Kausar in the same year made Ejaz the Amir of his faction ahead of his arrest. However, he continued to remain in touch with Salahuddin who is still at large. 

Sources in the STF suggest that the investigating agency had shared inputs with the central Intelligence Bureau (IB) that he had taken refuge in Bihar's Gaya past several months. A team from the STF had been camping in Gaya since days to nab him.

Officers in the STF say that he was responsible for the recruitment of JMB cadres in the country and was in contact with JMB top leader Salahuddin even before his arrest.

A laptop, hard disk and a phone besides other Jihadi literature were seized from his possession.

Police are further investigating the matter.