Blasts conspiracy: Officials in MP demolish ‘illegal’ homes of five accused

Rajasthan Police on Wednesday arrested three residents of Ratlam with explosives during a routine check and on Thursday, the Madhya Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) detained 25 people and arrested three others from Ratlam city. They were handed over to the Rajasthan police for further investigation.

The six arrested have been identified as Imran Khan, Altamash Khan, Zubair Fakheer, Amin Khan, Amin Sherani and Saifuddin. Saifuddin, Altamash and Zubair were arrested by the Rajasthan police and the following day, the Madhya Pradesh ATS arrested the others.

In the demolitions carried out in Ratlam throughout Friday, the police razed the house and poultry farm of Imran Khan, a resident of Mohan Nagar. Khan has a case against him under three different sections of the IPC, besides three cases under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. According to the police, the entire conspiracy was hatched at the farm.

The police also demolished a bungalow of the second accused, Altamash Khan (26) who lives in the Shauranipur area. Khan has been accused in seven cases over the last 12 years and has various offences, including those under eight different sections of the UAPA and the Explosives Act, registered against him.

Zubair Fakreb (34) a resident of Anand Colony, has two cases under the UAPA and Explosives Act registered against him since 2014. The front portion of his house, which had been erected illegally, was razed on Friday. The front portion of the house of Amin Khan, who has three previous cases, was also demolished.

Officials added that they razed the house of Amin Patel, a resident of Vikram Nagar with seven cases against him, as he had illegally occupied government land and constructed his house on it.

Ratlam district collector Purushottam Kumar said, “Illegal encroachments by these offenders were demolished. The action will continue against several other sympathisers as well.”

State Home Minister Narottam Mishra said Imran began his allegedly illegal activities in 2014. “He had started his activities in 2014 through social programmes. He was a hardcore criminal who was under watch and also wanted to go to Syria. He was put behind bars for a year. He then sent three of his men with explosives to Rajasthan,” Mishra said.

On Friday, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan held a meeting with the home minister and state police officials and ordered the administration to teach a befitting lesson to criminals, especially those involved in crimes against women, the marginalised and the poor.

On the lines of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who came to be celebrated as ‘Bulldozer Baba’ during the recent Assembly elections for his government’s “tough” stance on criminals, Chouhan has now adopted the sobriquet of ‘Bulldozer Mama’. “Uncle’s bulldozer has always worked. It won’t stop till all criminals are swept away. We won’t spare anti-social elements,” Chouhan had said recently.