The Ratlam district administration in Madhya Pradesh on Friday demolished allegedly llegal homes and constructions erected by five of the six accused who were allegedly plotting serial blasts in Jaipur and were recently caught from the district as well as from Rajasthan’s Chittorgarh.
On Wednesday, Rajasthan Police arrested three residents of Ratlam with explosives during a routine check in Chittorgarh. They said that they had recovered 12 kg explosives, three battery clocks, three connector wires, six bulbs and a jeep from the possession of three accused.
Later on Thursday, the Madhya Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) detained 25 people and arrested three others from Ratlam city. They were handed over to the Rajasthan police for further investigation.
The six arrested have been identified as Imran Khan, Altamash Khan, Zubair Fakheer, Amin Khan, Amin Sherani and Saifuddin. Saifuddin, Altamash and Zubair were arrested by the Rajasthan police and the following day, the Madhya Pradesh ATS arrested the others.
Ratlam Collector said in a statement that the illegal constructions were in violation of the rules and provisions of the Municipal Corporation.
“Collector Shri Purushottam has said that illegal property in Ratlam which were acquired by goons, mafia, illegal workmen in the city is being demolished. In this case, the illegal constructions were in violation of the rules and provisions of the Municipal Corporation and were demolished on Friday (1 April),” he tweeted on Friday.
In the demolitions carried out in Ratlam throughout Friday, the police razed the house and poultry farm of Imran Khan, a resident of Mohan Nagar, reported The Indian Express. Khan has a case against him under three different sections of the IPC, besides three cases under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. According to the police, the entire conspiracy was hatched at the farm.
Another bungalow belonging to the second accused — Altamash Khan —was also razed in the Shauranipur area. Khan has been accused in seven cases and has been booked under eight different sections of the UAPA and the Explosives Act.
State Home Minister Narottam Mishra said Imran began his allegedly illegal activities in 2014. “He had started his activities in 2014 through social programmes. He was a hardcore criminal who was under watch and also wanted to go to Syria. He was put behind bars for a year. He then sent three of his men with explosives to Rajasthan,” Mishra said.
Taking cue from Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath, who has now become popular as ‘Bulldozer Baba’ for his government’s all-out offensive against criminals, his MP counterpart Shivraj Singh Chouhan has now adopted the sobriquet of ‘Bulldozer Mama’. “Uncle’s bulldozer has always worked. It won’t stop till all criminals are swept away. We won’t spare anti-social elements,” Chouhan had said recently.