Bangalore: Infosys, airport attacks foiled

A suspected militant from Jammu and Kashmir was arrested on the city outskirts early on Friday, foiling plans to attack the airport and Bangalore's information technology showpiece Infosys Technologies Limited.

"Police have foiled a conspiracy to attack the airport and Infosys," Chief Minister H D Kumarawamy said.

Acting on a tip off, a Bangalore police team intercepted a private bus coming from Hospet in Bellary district at Jalahalli in the early hours on Friday and nabbed the suspected terrorist, who disclosed his name as Imran alias Bilal, aged about 32.

IGP K R Srinivasan said on searching his bags, one AK-47 assault rifle, 300 rounds of ammunition, 4 AK-47 magazines, SIM cards, a satellite phone and a few documents, were found.

A map of Bangalore city with marking of some locations, including the airport and Infosys, was also found in his possession by the police team, which included senior police officers Bipin Gopalakrishna, Gopal Hosur and Ravikante Gowda.

Srinivasan and Bangalore City Police Commissioner Neelam Achyut Rao said police were investigating as to whether the suspected terrorist had actually boarded the bus from Hospet, or whether he came from elsewhere, and whether he was to be joined by associates later.

Srinivasan did not rule out the possibility of the arrest of his associates.

Srinivasan said the Bangalore city police, which was working in close co-ordination with the central and state intelligence agencies and other anti-terrorist cells, received credible information that a suspected terrorist carrying arms and ammunition was arriving in the city from Hospet by bus.

A case has been registered in Yeshwantpura police station in Bangalore under the Arms Act, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Explosives Act.

The arrest comes just over a year after the December 28, 2005, terror strike at Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore campus.

Srinivasan and Rao said more time is needed to uncover the suspected terrorist's game plan -- about his objective and his associates, targets in Bangalore and where he was to get shelter.

Rao said Imran offered "a little resistance while being nabbed but not to the extent which required force."

Police declined to share the claims made by the suspected terrorist, saying they needed to be cross-checked.

"Too much information may hamper investigation," Srinivasan said. Karnataka police will seek the help of its Jammu and Kashmir counterparts if needed, he added.

Meanwhile, an Infosys spokesperson has clarified that the Bangalore police have told the company that it is not on the taget list of the foiled terrorist attack.