STF searches SIMI group's second safe house

Two out of the five SIMI operatives arrested from Rourkela two days ago, were today taken by the Special Task force of Odisha's Crime Branch police to Bhadrak where they had stayed in a hide-out earlier for two months.
The STF team led by Special DGP (Crime Branch), B K Sharma and accompanied by IG Arun Bothra took the duo to the area to gather further information about the SIMI operatives and to unearth their links in the area.
During interrogation of the arrested persons, who had escaped from a jail in Madhya Pradesh in 2013, it was found that they had stayed in a rented house at Bhadrak's Nangamohalla area before moving to Rourkela, the police said.

The five arrested early on Wednesday have been identified as as Mehboob Khan, Zakhir Khan, Ahmed khan, Saliq and Najma (Mehboob's mother), the police said.
Special DG Sharma said the SIMI operatives, during interrogation, had confessed about their Bhadrak hideout.
Their hideout at Nangamahala under Purunabazar police station limits was searched by the STF team in presence of two SIMI activists and witnesses, Sharma said adding, the STF seized some SIMI literature, mobile phones, pen drives, a battery and wires form the house.
Meanwhile, the Bhadrak police have detained Tajul Khan alias Munu, the owner of the house where the arrested SIMI operatives had stayed six months back and was being interrogated, the police said.

The Special DG said investigation by STF was on to ascertain the local links and activities of the SIMI operatives in the area.