UP STF arrests woman for asking man to prepare time bombs using bottles

Lucknow , Feb 18 (PTI) The Special Task Force of Uttar Pradesh Police has arrested a woman who had allegedly asked a man to prepare time bombs using bottles.

The arrest was made days after the STF arrested a man named Javed for allegedly making time bombs using glass bottles packed with iron pellets. Javed was on his way to hand over the bombs to the woman, STF officials said.

According to a press statement, a team of Meerut STF unit arrested one Imrana, a resident of the Muzaffarnagar district on Saturday evening following intelligence inputs.

"Imrana knew Javed for long and had asked him to make the bombs. Javed was arrested when he was on his way to hand over four bombs to Imrana," read the statement.

Imrana told STF officials that her house was allegedly damaged in the 2013 communal riots. She had asked for the bombs in case any violence or riot breaks out again, as per the statement.

Imrana also allegedly confessed she had kept such bombs at her house in the past, which were later handed over to other people.

The STF has lodged a case under the relevant sections of the IPC.

After arresting Javed, a resident of Muzaffarnagar, on Friday, the STF recovered four time bombs.

During interrogation, the arrested accused told the police that these four bottle bombs were improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The bottles were packed with gun powder-999, iron pellets, cotton, POP etc. Javed had made these bottle bombs at the behest of Imrana, wife of Azad, a native of Shamli currently residing in Muzaffarnagar.

He used to buy glucose bottles from doctors and iron pellets from cycle shops, besides arranging watches.

Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) and ADG STF Amitabh Yash said the STF team arrested Javed around 11.45 am on Friday and recovered four timer bottle bombs (IEDs) from his possession.

The police official said the Uttar Pradesh STF had been receiving information for a long time about absconding or reward-declared criminals being active.

A case was registered against Javed at the Kotwali police station under the relevant sections of the IPC and the Explosive Substances Act.

In a statement, the police said a bomb disposal squad took the four bottle bombs in their possession and defused them in the forest of Nyajupura.

Interrogation revealed that Imrana had given Javed Rs 10,000 in advance for making the bottle bombs and had told him that she will pay Rs 40,000 later at the time of delivery. He was arrested on Friday when he had come to deliver these bottle bombs to Imrana.

On being interrogated about making the bottle bombs, Javed said he learnt making gunpowder and bottle bombs by staying at the place of his uncle Arshi, a firecracker maker, and he had obtained some information through YouTube and the internet. PTI