Telangana police returns after probing SIMI links in Odisha

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bolangir, Apr 9:

A police team from neighbouring Telangana returned this morning after spending three days in Bolangir district looking for suspected Odisha links of banned terrorist outfit Students Islamic Movement in India (SIMI).

“They were essentially looking for any local linkages with the SIMI. Nothing concrete has emerged in the investigation so far. But investigation is on,” Bolangir SP Deepak Kumar said.

“Security measures have been stepped up in the district on the basis of the investigation by the Telangana police,” he added.

The links of the banned terror outfit in Odisha had come to the fore after two SIMI members were killed in an encounter with the Telangana police at Janakipuram in Nalgonda district on April 4.  

During investigation, Telangana police had come to know that the two slain SIMI activists—Mohammad Aji-ud-Din Mohammad Aslam alias Bilal— of Madhya Pradesh were involved in a number of criminal activities in Odisha, the two most notable being the loot of cash worth Rs 1.25 lakh from the Jharsuguda Gramya Bank on December 13, 2013 and loot of mobile phones, cash and documents from the passengers in Dhanbad-Alleppey Express train near Kesinga railway station on February 15 this year.

After seizing the documents from the two slain SIMI activists, a team of senior officials from Telangana had arrived in Bolangir district three days ago.

Sources said that the team, during investigation, found a major breakthrough. Besides, the team also interrogated some persons at a secret place.

Sources in the locality said that the SIMI activists had a close link with a youth of Bolangir, who is presently working in another state. Through him, they had come in contact with other youths of the district and were able to get more information from them.