Prime accused in 2013 blast near BJP B’lore office arrested  

Bengaluru, Aug 18 (PTI) Mohammed Ali Khan, the foundingmember of Al-Umma, a banned terrorist organisation, and primeaccused in a 2013 bomb blast near BJP office here, has beenarrested. Khan (45) was arrested from Sathyamangalam in Erodedistrict of Tamil Nadu on August 15 where he was in hiding,police said. They said Khan was allegedly involved in planning theMalleswaram bomb blast on April 17, 2013 and had also suppliedexplosive materials for it. At least 16 people, including 11 policemen, were injuredin the blast near the bustling Karnataka BJP office in acrowded residential area ahead of the state assembly election.The bomb was strapped to a motorbike parked between a van anda car. Khan was earlier convicted in the 1998 serial blasts at aCoimbatore rally of veteran BJP leader L K Advani in whichabout 50 people had died. Accused of supplying materials in this case, he was sentenced to life imprisonment but was released in 2010after serving 12 years sentence. Involved in several terror acts carried out by Al-Umma, Khan had gone into hiding after the Malleshwaram blast, policesaid. Stressing that there are 20 accused in the Malleswaram blast case and 17 have been arrested so far, officials saidKhan has been taken to police custody and an investigation isunderway. PTI KSU RA APRAAR