Cops on lookout for Patla’s aides in Moradabad

MORADABAD: After the arrest of SalimPatla, allegedly involved in multiple bomb attacks on PAC pickets two decades ago, ATSsleuths and Meerut police are raiding several places in the district to nab his accomplices.
Police said the ATS and Meerut police carried out raids in Moradabad city on Saturday and Sunday to search for Imran and Irfan, allegedly close aides of Salim.Officials said that in connection with distribution of fake currency, Moradabad area called 'Rampur Doraha' was on surveillance and Salim’s house was nearby.
Meanwhile, Salim’s family alleged that he was falsely implicated in the blast.
Salim’s elder son Mohammad Saqib told TOI, “Salim was arrested from zero point of NH 24 by ATS sleuths and not from Muzafarnagar. Our father belongs to the same locality where the bomb attack was carried out. After the attack, our neighbour Jabbar got injured and he took him to the hospital. Thereafter, the family was shifted to Moradabad and the new house on bank loan was built in Ekta Vihar Colony.”
Saqib claimed that his father was falsely implicated in the case and the state should order a CBI inquiry in to the matter.
52-year-old Salim, along with Meerut resident Jabbar, was allegedly involved in the bomb attack on PAC camp at veterinary hospital on Merrut-Gard road in 1992 killing two PAC jawans and injuring several others.
He was arrested from Muzaffarnagar on Friday, after which ATS and IB officials interrogated him inside Khatuli police station.
During interrogation, Salim said the attack on the PAC camp was carried out to take revenge over Hashimpura massacre by jawans of Provincial Arms Constabulary forces.
After Salim’s arrest, Moradabad SSP ordered a high alert in the district and the adjoining districts of Rampur, Sambhal, Amroha and Bijnore.
The Anti-Terror Squad personnel, along with Moradabad and Meerut police, on Saturday and Sunday raided ghettos of old Moradabad city to nab his aides allegedly working in sleeper modules of terror outfits.
Salim’s family alleged that he was not picked up from Muzaffarnagar as claimed by police, but was arrested from zero point of NH-24 (intersection of Delhi, Rampur and Moradabad roads) and have demanded a CBI probe into the incident.
SSP Love Kumar, Moradabad police, said, “We are investigating Salim’s connections with terror outfits because the intelligence inputs revealed that he was working in a sleeper module for a terror outfit.”