Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist, who was driving auto, held from Bengaluru's hide-out

A suspected Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist, who had been eking out a living as an auto driver, has been arrested in Bengaluru following a joint operation by the Karnataka and Jammu & Kashmir police.

The accused, Talib Hussain was arrested on June 5, police sources said on Tuesday (June 7). A resident of Rashgwari in Nagseni tehsil, Kishtwar, he was wanted in a few terror cases in J&K and has been missing for the last few years. But neither his neighbours or the owner of the auto in Bengaluru knew about his militancy background, said media reports.

According to police sources, Hussain had fled Jammu and Kashmir, as the hunt for him was intensified by the Armed forces, and he was hiding in Bengaluru.

At first, Hussain had allegedly taken shelter at a mosque in Srirampura and used to deliver sermons during Friday prayers.

Later, he lived with his wife and children in a rented house in Srirampura for the past two years and became an auto driver in the city.

He became a militant in 2016 and allegedly recruited youths.

He was caught in a joint operation by the police, the Rashtriya rifles and the Central Reserve Police Force a week ago. Officials from Jammu and Kashmir came to Bengaluru a week ago and they sought the help of senior police officers in locating the house in which  Hussain was living.

Husain has two wives, one that lived in Jammu and Kashmir and the other was with him in Bengaluru.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has confirmed Hussain’s arrest from the city.
Asked if the terrorist was arrested, Bommai told reporters, “Yes.”

“Generally police keep an eye on people like them. We will provide whatever assistance is required to the Jammu and Kashmir police. In the past too, such arrests had taken place in Sirsi and Bhatkal.”

“The Jammu and Kashmir police have taken this very seriously, he explained.

Meanwhile, Home Minister Araga Jnanendra said the state police has begun a probe following Hussain’s arrest.

The state police are coordinating with their Jammu and Kashmir counterparts and intensified investigation to identify those individuals and organisations, which harboured him, he said.

Stringent action will be taken and cases will be registered against those local individuals who gave the suspected terrorist refuge, provided mobile phone and helped procure documents.

He also said a police team left for Jammu and Kashmir.