3 Al-Umma aides held

These were staying in an apartment at Bhavanipuram for the past few months in view of stepped up surveillance by Tamil Nadu and Kerala police but escaped before the police could nab them.

However, on searching the premises last night the police recovered huge quantities of electronic detonators, two timer clocks, two sealed boxes, ignition wires and religious literature along with a diary. The Tamil Nadu police had also been informed about this development, the DGP H J Dora said in a release here today.

Earlier, in amajor breakthrough the police arrested Mohammad Ali Shabir, prime accused in the blasting of Rashtriya Seva Sangh headquarter at Chennai, on the city outskirts at Alwal here on May 14 and remanded him to police custody.

Meanwhile, police booked a case against Basheer Khan who reportedly provided shelter to the 25-year-old Ali, son-in-law of president of Al-Umma S A Basha, during his stay here at Alwal.

Khan, a soldier attached to the Army artillery centre here was presently in the custody of a division located at Bolarum. The Army officials would hand over the accused to police after getting permission from their headquarters at Bhopal, police said.