NIA court permits listing of Nazir in heist case

A national Investigation Agency court on Wednesday permitted the Crime Branch to list alleged LeT operative T Nazir, prime accused in the 2008 Bengaluru serial blasts case, for being involved in a jewellery heist in Ernakulam district in June 2002.

Nazir was allegedly involved in the theft of about 2.5 kg of gold ornaments from the jewellery shop, police said, adding that the precious items were stolen to raise funds for terror activities.

Crime Branch had yesterday arrested two suspected LeT operatives in the case. While K P Shabeer, 31, was arrested from Shimoga in Karnataka, Ismail, 33 was nabbed at Ernakulam, they said.

The duo, said to be close associates of Nazir, are involved in various terror related cases, including the Kalamassery bus burning case in which a bus from Tamil Nadu was torched in September 2005.