Hyderabad blasts: NIA raids Bihar in search of IM men

Two days after twin blasts rocked Hyderabad, a team of the National Investigation Agency raided several places including villages in Bihar's Darbhanga and Samastipur districts in search of operatives of Indian Mujahideen, police officials said on Saturday.

According to police officials, the NIA team is on the look out for Mohammed Tahsim alias Monu, who is said to be close to Indian Mujahideen founder Yasin Bhatkal, one of India’s most wanted criminals in connection with scores of terrorism cases.

"A team of NIA led by its superintendent of police Vikash Vaibhab has conducted raids in Samastipur and Darbhanga in last 24 in search of Tahsim alias Monu and another operative of Indian Mujahideen," a senior police official told rediff.com.

Earlier,

the NIA had issued warrant of arrest against Tahsim alias Monu.

Banned terrorist outfit Indian Mujahideen's name has cropped up in the preliminary investigation in the twin blasts, which claimed 16 lives and injured over 100.

Last month, the NIA team raided Maniari village in Samastipur district in search of him. But he was not found in his house.

The NIA team had arrested Mohammad Danish Ansari, an operative of Indian Mujahideen from Chakjora village in Darbhanga in January.

Ansari is also a close associate of Bhatkal. Security agencies claim that Ansari provided shelter to Bhatkal in Bihar in 2009 and 2010.