Visakhapatnam, May 22 (IANS) A court in Andhra Pradesh’s Vizianagaram on Thursday sent two men, arrested in connection with an alleged terror plot, to police custody for a week

Police had filed a petition in the Vizianagaram District Court, seeking custody of Siraj-ur-Rehman and Sayeed Sameer for 10 days to probe further the alleged terror plot.

The District First Class Magistrate heard the arguments during the last two days and on Thursday sent the accused to police custody for a week.

Siraj and Sameer are currently lodged in the Visakhapatnam Central Jail. The police will interrogate them over the next week to gather more information about the alleged conspiracy to carry out blasts.

Siraj was arrested by Vizianagaram police following the recovery of explosives at his residence. The subsequent investigation led to the arrest of Sameer from Hyderabad.

Sameer was brought to Vizianagaram, and the duo were sent to judicial custody for 14 days.

Meanwhile, police intensified the probe into the case while the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is also conducting an investigation.

According to police, Siraj is an engineering graduate from Vizianagaram while Sameer is a lift operator and is a resident of Bhoiguda in Secunderabad.

Siraj’s father is reported to be an Assistant Sub-Inspector of police, while his brother is a constable.

The two suspects had allegedly formed a group by the name Al-Hind Ittehadul Muslimeen to carry out their activities. The organisation has 12 members in cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Warangal.

The two suspects had allegedly procured explosives online and were planning a trial of explosions near Vizianagaram.

They were allegedly in touch with a handler, identified as Imran, based in a country in the Middle East through social media. The accused procured explosives online and also used online information to use them. They allegedly planned to test the explosives on the outskirts of Vizianagaram on May 21 or 22.

Siraj had allegedly received Rs 40 lakh from the handler to fund the organisation’s activities.

Acting on a tip-off, the police of the two Telugu states foiled their terror plan by arresting them.

The explosive material, including ammonia, sulphur, and aluminium powder, was seized during a raid on Siraj’s house on Saturday (May 17). The same day, Sameer was arrested in Hyderabad and was taken to Vizianagaram on a transit warrant.

The remand report presented by the police includes details of communications retrieved from the suspects’ mobile devices. The suspects communicated using Instagram, WhatsApp, Signal, and Telegram applications.

Chat transcripts recovered from the devices suggest discussions about targeting RSS leaders and references to creating improvised explosive devices.

The accused were booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, and also under the Explosive Substances Act of 1908.

–IANS

ms/vd