Latest news with #Siraj-Ur-Rehaman
The Hindu
28-05-2025
- The Hindu
Siraj and Sameer sent to central jail in Visakhapatnam
With their police custody coming to an end on Wednesday, Siraj-Ur-Rehaman of Vizianagaram and Syed Sameer of Hyderabad, who had been accused of making improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and planning to trigger blasts in Vizianagaram and several places in the State, were sent to the Visakhapatnam Central Jail after being produced in the court here amid security. The two accused persons had been arrested and later remanded in police custody for one week by the court. Top officials of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Counter Intelligence, Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) and other agencies grilled the accused in the Police Training College. Their arrest assumed significance after the Pahlagam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, India's counter attack on Pakistan. The police had seized the bank accounts of Siraj and tried to know about his funding sources. They also questioned him on his links with Syed and other persons who were reportedly based in the Middle East nations. The investigating officials were expected to seek police custody of the accused again to gather more clues in the case.
The Hindu
25-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Siraj-Ur-Rehaman, Syed Sameer being grilled at Police Training College in Vizianagaram
As many as 15 officials of various wings such as National Investigation Agency, Anti Terrorists Squad, Counter Intelligence and other wings continued their investigation on Sunday (May 25, 2025) to know the names of masterminds behind the two accused persons Siraj-Ur-Rehaman and Syed Sameer, who had reportedly planned blasts in Vizianagaram and other soft targets in the State in the backdrop of India's counter attack on Pakistan after the killing of 26 tourists in the Pahalgam terror attack in Kashmir on April 22, 2025. The accused are being grilled every day, ever since they were remanded into one week police custody, a couple of days ago, at the Police Training College in Vizianagaram. The officials who came from Chennai and other places are coordinating with one another and sharing the inputs provided by the two accused persons who were arrested one week ago and later taken into police custody with the permission of a court in Vizianagaram. As the court directed them not to adopt third degree methods during police custody, the senior cops are confining to a volley of questions. According to sources, the accused informed the officers that they used chat and contact with one another with the support of Magic Lantern and free-open source software, which allows sharing of raw video footage and pictures. The officials took the support of techies to retrieve the data and footage shared by them with others who stayed abroad. As part of maintaining absolute secrecy, the officials of the intelligence agencies have allowed only select local senior police officials during the interrogation at the PTC , which is currently under the control of National Investigation Agency. The regular employees of PTC are also not being allowed to enter the interrogation rooms. A senior team of doctors from Vizianagaram Government General Hospital checked the health of both the accused persons and said that their blood pressure and other health parameters were normal. NIA officials are expected to grill the family members of Siraj-Ur-Rehaman, a resident of Abad street of Vizianagaram. The locals particularly neighbours of Siraj's house are worried with the spread of news of his involvement in terrorist activities. Siraj later developed contact with Syed Sameer of Hyderabad and shared vital data with regard to terrorist plots. The cops have not allowed Siraj family members to withdraw the amount from a cooperative bank located near Fort junction. It was learnt that around ₹42 lakh is available in Siraj and his family members' accounts. The bank officials are not allowing the locker to be opened as soon as Siraj was taken into custody in the case.
The Hindu
22-05-2025
- The Hindu
Vizianagaram police yet to get custody of Siraj and Sameer
The Vizianagaram police are yet to get the custody of Siraj-Ur-Rehaman and Syed Sameer, who have been arrested a few days ago on charges of possessing explosive material and improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The police have filed a petition in the court seeking their custody to continue with the investigation. It is learnt that the court is likely to give its nod to police custody late on Thursday night or Friday morning. Both the accused have been booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Explosives Act. A court in Vizianagaram has sent them to the Visakhapatnam Central Jail on 14 days remand. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is also investigating the case. But, as per sources, the accused will be handed over to it after the local police complete their questioning. Senior police officers have also informed that investigation is in progress from various angles, and the bank and social media accounts, and contacts of the accused are being looked into. Siraj, a 29-year-old (Mechanical) graduate, has allegedly been in touch with his handler, who operates from a country in the Middle East, for the last one year through various social media accounts. He is accused of developing IEDs with the guidance of his handler and planning to use them on soft targets and RSS cadres. Siraj has been under the scanner of the Intelligence agencies since the last one year. According to a senior police officer, the investigating officers are probing from all angles such as who is the handler and whether there is a connection with the terror groups such as the LeT, JeM, or ISIS. Though there have been reports in the media that Siraj visited a country in the Middle East three times in the last one year, his passport does not mention any such details. As per the police, the money in Siraj's bank account belongs to him as it has been given by his family members. He has the habit of buying bonds and redeeming them. 'But we are not leaving any loose ends and probing from all angles,' says Additional SP, Vizianagaram, Soumya Latha.
The Hindu
18-05-2025
- The Hindu
Two ‘radicalised youth' arrested by Vizianagaram police
The Vizianagaram police arrested two 'radicalised youth', who were allegedly involved in making bombs and provoking the Muslim youth by posting comments on social media thereby inciting violence. On a tip-off, the Vizianagaram Two Town police raided a house and arrested 29-year-old Siraj-Ur-Rehaman, who was allegedly preparing explosive substances. The police seized some raw material used for making explosives such as aluminium powder and sulphur powder. Based on his confession, a police team of Vizianagaram district went to Hyderabad and picked up another accused, Syed Sameer, who was in touch with Rehaman, and was posting comments on social media groups. The accused were booked under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, and also under Explosive Substances Act of 1908, said Vizianagaram district Superintendent of Police Vakul Jindal. 'We have seized some explosive material and the accused were produced in court, which remanded them to judicial custody,' the SP said on Sunday. Police are inquiring whether the accused were in touch with any banned Muslim organisation or with any terror groups, and since how long they were in contact with each other, an investigation officer said. 'Officers of the Counter Intelligence and other agencies are verifying the contacts of the accused and their social media accounts,' the police officer said. Vizianagaram Superintendent of Police Vakul Jindal directed all police station house officers to be vigilant and question suspicious persons in the backdrop of Pahalgam incident in which 26 persons were killed by militants on April 22, 2025.
