Terror sleeper cells active in Bengaluru, Mysuru, says Karnataka Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai
Bengaluru, Oct 18: Karnataka Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai said on Friday some terrorist sleeper cells were active in Bengaluru and Mysuru and their activities have intensified in coastal Karnataka as well as the Bay of Bengal.
Speaking to reporters at Mysuru, Bommai said the National Investigation Agency suspects movement of terrorists belonging to the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) in coastal Karnataka and a few interior parts of Karnataka.
"There is a possibility of sleeper cells in Bengaluru and Mysuru and hence, the NIA wants us to take extra care," Bommai said.
He cautioned that the JMB has expanded its activities not only in coastal and interior Karnataka but all along the coastal regions of the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea.
Referring to revelations made by the NIA recently in New Delhi, Bommai said the agency laid emphasis on Kashmir and the movement of Bangladeshi ultras.
The minister also said movement of illegal Bangladeshiimmigrants has intensified in the State.
"Against the background, our police are on alert especially in Bengaluru and Mysuru. We are frisking people at public places, gathering information about the suspicious persons and analysing it," Bommai said.
Earlier this week, the minister announced the formation of Bengaluru-specific Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS), which will work in tandem with the NIA officials.
The Bengaluru-specific ATS will become functional from November 1, he said.
Karnataka already has an ATS.
The decision to set up the ATS was made following the arrest of a number of JMB cadres in and around Bengaluru, from whom explosive devices and many other materials were seized in the last one year.
According to the NIA, these terrorists, involved in the October 2, 2014 bomb blasts at Burdwan in West Bengal, in which two persons were killed, had holed up in and around Bengaluru.
They had carried out training programmes in Krishnagirihills in neighbouring Tamil Nadu and wanted to set up base here to carry out their jihadi activities across the country, an NIA probe, which busted the gang, revealed.
Addressing a meeting of chiefs of the Anti Terrorism Squads (ATS) recently at New Delhi, NIA chief Y C Modi had said the JMB has spread its activities in states like Jharkhand, Bihar, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala in theguise of Bangladeshi immigrants.
The JMB was trying to spread its tentacles across India and a list of 125 suspects have been shared with different states, he said.
According to him, from 2014 to 2018, the JMB set up 20-22 hideouts in Bengaluru and tried to spread its bases in South India.
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Elephant calf brought from Bijnor kept under care at Pilibhit Tiger Reserve
Pilibhit (PTI): A 19-day-old elephant calf, brought from Bijnor, was placed under care at the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR) on Sunday, an official said and added that the calf got separated from its mother in the forest area of Bijnor.
The calf was born on December 2 in the Bijnor forest area and got separated from its mother shortly after birth, the official said.
The forest department made several attempts to reunite it with its mother, but without any success. To ensure the calf's safety and better care, it was decided to transfer it to the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve on the instructions of senior officials.
On Saturday, Deputy Director Manish Singh received the calf. Special arrangements have been made in the reserve for its care. It has been kept in a safe and clean environment to provide it with a natural setting and protect it from external noise and disturbances.
Singh told reporters that raising an 19-day-old calf is challenging.
It requires a special diet as a substitute for mother's milk and constant monitoring.
He said a special team has been formed to provide 24-hour care. Since the calf is very young, it is being cared for like a newborn baby.
According to Singh, the primary responsibility for monitoring the calf's health has been entrusted to PTR's veterinarian, Dr Daksh Gangwar. Under his supervision, a complete record of the calf's health checkups, diet, and body temperature is being maintained. The team is ensuring that the calf does not contract any infection.
