Davangere/Bengaluru: A 20-year-old man accused of plotting an attack on the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya was arrested in Harihar in Davangere district, making him the third terror suspect to be held in the state in little over a fortnight.Davangere district police Tuesday arrested Suhail, a native of Shahjahanpur in Uttar Pradesh, from Harihar, where he had reportedly been working at a factory for the past 15 days.Suhail has been handed over to Tumakuru police for further investigation.Police sources said the arrest followed leads that emerged during the interrogation of two suspected terrorists who were arrested on June 4. Jameer Khan, 22, was arrested in Davangere, while Alla Baksh, 24, was arrested in Tumakuru.Home minister Priyank Kharge, however, ruled out any links between the arrest of the latest suspect and the duo held on June 4.Davangere SP H T Shekhar said: “Suhail had joined a factory in Harihar as a painter and was residing in a nearby village. It has come to light that he has connections with Pakistan-based terror outfits.”According to Shekhar, acting on a tip-off about a suspicious individual, a police team led by Davangere rural DSP B S Basavaraj tracked the suspect down and arrested him.During questioning, investigators found that he allegedly had links with certain groups in Pakistan.“Preliminary findings suggest he was in contact with terrorists through social media. The case appears similar to the one reported in Tumakuru district earlier, but we will gather more evidence to establish the facts. We have also received information that a group of 10 people has entered Karnataka. This is being verified,” the SP said.Police officials said the accused allegedly admitted during questioning that he had discussed plans to attack the Ram Mandir. Investigators claimed his mobile phone contained photographs of him holding weapons, contacts linked to a Pakistani country code and audio clips in which he can allegedly be heard speaking about an attack on the temple.“There are some audio clips in his mobile phone, in which he can be heard saying in Urdu-mixed-Hindi that he wants to blast the Ram Mandir,” police officers added.QuoteThere is no evidence so far, linking the Davangere case with the Tumakuru terror module. However, police are probing all angles.”Priyank Kharge | Home minister
