Terror plot against Infy in Mysore busted

Updated at noon

BANGALORE: Two suspected militants were arrested in Mysore late on Thursday when they were trying to attack the Infosys campus.

Police said the militants were intercepted at Vijayanagar extension, around a kilometre from the Hebbal campus of the software giant.

RDX, a few AK-47 rifles, and a map of the sprawling 345 acre campus was recovered from them. Police Commissioner Praveen Sood confirmed the arrests. Top police officers have rushed to Mysore. A state-wide alert has been declared.

The Pakistani militants were arrested after a shoot-out, a senior police official said.

The militants fired from an AK-47 rifle at a police party when intercepted and the latter returned fire before arresting them, Sood said.

The arrested were identified as Mohammed Fayeed and Ali Hussain.

Sood said documents and a satellite phone that they used to communicate with Pakistan and Kashmir, were seized from them.

"They (the militants) were here on a definite plan", he said.

Other reports identified the duo as Fahad Hai, 24, and Ali Hussain, 25, who belong to the Al-Badr terrorist group.

Karnataka Director General of Police BS Sial said, "From their passports and other documents in their possession, we have found they are linked to the Al-Badr terror group in Pakistan. While Fahad entered India early this February, Ali has been in the country over the last four years."

Three policemen suffered minor injuries, while the two suspects were also hurt after falling from their vehicle.
 
"Both of them have been brought to the district police headquarters here and formally arrested under various laws such as the Arms Act, Foreigners Act, attempt to murder policemen on duty and allegedly waging war against India," Sood said.
 
Initial interrogation revealed that Fahad, a chemical engineer with an MSc degree, hails from Karachi, while Ali is from Manesara in Sindh province.

Sketches of the state secretariat Vidhan Soudha and its newly constructed annexe Vikasa Soudha, were also recovered from the militants, Sial said.

Police had information that Fahad came through Mumbai, Sial said, maintaining that it would be verified.

Al-Badr is a "notorious terrorist outfit" banned by India under The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 2004, he said.

On the possibility of associates of the arrested terrorists having escaped, Sial said he did not rule it out. The police are keeping a close watch on airports and railway and bus stations, he added.

Terrorists had struck at the Indian Institute of Science here last year during an international conference, killing a former IIT-Delhi professor.

Tech majors Infosys and Wipro have been on the radar of possible terrorist attacks.

The arrests come a day before the inaugural of the latest edition of Bangalore IT.in, the annual tech mela that showcases the state as an IT investment hub.

-- With inputs from PTI and IANS