Three people arrested in Bangalore blast case

Trio facilitated the blast, said police sources; main culprits still at large

Chennai Police have arrested three people in connection with last week's blast near the BJP office in Bangalore that left 16 persons injured.

According to top police sources, Karnataka Police were assisted by their Tamil Nadu counterparts in a late night operation, in which two persons -- Peer Mohideen and Basheer hailing from Tirunelveli were arrested from a lodge here.

The third person was arrested from Madurai, they said, adding the trio facilitated the blast while the main culprits were still at large.

Four men were recently detained in Kerala for their alleged involvement in the case.

The arrested are being taken to Bangalore for further investigation, sources said.

The Karnataka government had announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh to those who provide information on the culprits responsible for the April 17 blast.

 A Madurai report identified the third person as Kichan Bukari, an activist of banned Al-Umma.

36-year old Bukari was picked up at the central bus stand here when he was on his way to Tirunelveli from Chennai.

He was also a convict in the case relating to the 1998 serial bomb blasts in Coimbatore that claimed 58 lives and left more than 200 injured during the visit of senior BJP leader L K Advani to the city to address an election rally.

Bukari, hailing from Melapalayam in Tirunelveli District, had undergone 10 years jail term in the blast case, a report from Coimbatore said.

He was accused No.133 in the case in which several Al-Umma activists were convicted. Besides he was also sentenced to life in three murder cases against him but released by Supreme Court.