Express News Service By

Terror suspects, ‘Police’ Fakruddin, Panna Ismail and Bilal Malik, arrested after a standoff at Puthur in Chithoor district in Andhra Pradesh on October 5, were also linked with the murder of a jewellery staff to rob him off `1.5 lakh, which was reportedly used for ‘jihadi’ operations in the State, according to police.

The announcement was made by the top brass of the State police, which also entrusted the Special Investigation Division (SID) of Crime Branch-Criminal Investigation Division (CB-CID) with the investigation of the jewellery staff murder, following the confession.

The SID was formed on the orders of Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, who disbursed cash reward to the personnel of SID, who were part of the operations, which led to the arrest of ‘Police’ Fakrudeen, Panna Ismail and Bilal Malik, wanted in a series of murders in the State and also for planting an Improved Explosive Devise (IED) during BJP senior leader L K Advani’s visit to the State in 2011. The trio were arrested following their reported involvement in the murders of Velliappan at Vellore, Auditor Ramesh at Salem, and vendor Suresh at Madurai. The accused had also confessed to their involvement in the murders of one Murugan at Paramakudi and Dr Aravinth Reddy at Vellore.

“After sustained interrogation, the accused confessed to their involvement in the murder of jewellery staff, Panchatcharam in Vellore. The accused revealed that they had followed the deceased on a motorcycle, intercepted him and robbed him of his bag containing `1.5 lakh. When he resisted, they stabbed him. The accused confessed that they committed this crime to rob the deceased of his money for the purpose of Jihad”, according to a release from CBCID.

Subsequently, the Director General of Police K Ramanujam issued orders to transfer the murder case of Panchatcharam, which was being pursued by Gudiyattam Town Police Station at Vellore, to the SID.

Fakruddin On Hunger Protest

Vellore: Terror suspect ‘Police’ Fakruddin on Tuesday staged a hunger protest demanding that he be lodged along with his associates Bilal Malik and Panna Ismail in the same cell at the Vellore Central Prison for Men, where he has been remanded. However, the prison officials categorically refused Fakruddin’s demand stating that they had been arrested in connection with three sensational murder cases and would also be arrested and interrogated in four other murder cases, sources said.