CHENNAI: In a major breakthrough the ATS of TN police on Tuesday arrested Abubakkar Siddique - the dreaded explosive expert and Tamil Nadu’s most wanted militant - from his hideout in Andhra Pradesh. Police were looking for him for the last 30 years. He carried Rs 5 lakh reward.
Considered to be the mentor militants like Bilal Malik, ‘Police’ Fakruddin and Panna Ismail, the 60-year-old was carrying a Rs 5 lakh reward for his head. He was arrested along with another wanted man named Mohamed Ali.
The two were wanted in connection with a series of deadly bomb blasts, murder, and terror-related cases across Tamil Nadu and neighbouring states.
Acting on specific intelligence inputs, a special police team apprehended Abubacker Siddique, native of Nagoor, and Mohammed Ali (alias Yunus/Mansoor, resident of Melapalayam, Tirunelveli) in Annamayya district, Andhra Pradesh.
Abubacker Siddique (absconding since 1995): Siddique is implicated in a string of high-profile incidents spanning nearly 20 years. The charges against him include:
The arrest of Siddique, after 30 years on the run, and Ali, after 26 years, represents a major success for the Tamil Nadu Police. It brings hope for closure in several long-pending, sensitive cases involving terrorism and communal violence that have remained unresolved for decades.
The Tamil Nadu Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) will produce both accused before the Judicial Magistrate for remand to judicial custody. Their arrest marks a crucial step towards advancing the legal proceedings in the numerous serious cases linked to them.