The terrorists have been remanded to police custody till October 6. (Representational Image)
The special task force of Kolkata Police has arrested six top Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) terrorists, including four wanted in the 2014 Khagragarh blast case, from West Bengal and Assam.
Of the six, three are Bangladeshi nationals while the other three are Indians, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime), Kolkata Police, Vishal Garg said today.
"These people were not in West Bengal after Khagragarh blast. They had left the state and moved to South India and North Eastern states. They were planning subversive activities in some South Indian states. We are trying to find out the details," Mr Garg said.
The arrested JMB terrorists include head of the outfit's West Bengal unit Anwar Hussain Farooq alias Inam, second-in-command in the state Yusuf Sheikh alias Maulana Shiekh.
The six have been charged under IPC Sections 120(B) (criminal conspiracy), 121 (waging of war against India government), 121(A) (conspiracy to commit offences punishable by section 121), 122 (collecting arms), 123 (concealing with intent to facilitate design to wage war), 124(A) (sedition), he said.
They have been remanded to police custody till October 6 by a Kolkata court.
"They were using one web-based networking system to communicate with each other and never used the mobile phones to interact, not even the Facebook or its messenger. We have broken the encrypted messages exchanged between themselves," Mr Garg said.
The four who were wanted in connection with Khagragarh blast of October 2, 2014, were Shahidul Islam alias Surya, Mohammad Rubel, Abul Kalam and Jahidul Islam.
Anwar Hussain Farooq, Mohammed Rubel and Jahidul hail from Jamalpur of Bangladesh, while the other three are - Yusuf from Burdwan district's Mangalkot, Sahidul Islam and Abul Kalam from Assam's Barpeta district, Mr Garg said.
The NIA had named Sheikh, also the JMB chief motivator in the state, Shahidul Islam and Abul Kalam in its chargesheet for the Khagragarh blast.
NIA had also announced cash rewards of Rs 10 lakh on Shiekh's head. Kalam and Rubel were carrying rewards of Rs 3 lakh and 1 lakh respectively on their heads.