Main accused in Burdwan blast case gives police the slip

GUWAHATI/DHUBRI: Sahanur Alam, one of the main accused in the Burdwan blast case, gave police the slip in Assam's Dhubri district in the early hours today when an operation was launched to catch him.

However, two of his accomplices who were also his relatives, have been arrested, Dhubri District Superintendent of Police M N Sarma said.

Sahanur fled around 2.30 AM on receiving information about a police team being present at Fakiraganj to apprehend him, Sarma said.

The operation to catch him had been launched about three days ago following a tip off about that Sahanur was in hiding in the remote riverine area.

The area from where he fled shares borders with Meghalaya and Bangladesh and a seach has been launched to trace him.

BSF has been alerted about the possibility of Sahanur Alam alias Doctor escaping to Bangladesh, Sarma said.

His accomplices have been identified as Abdul Nur and Sahanur Ali, the police officer said, adding the accused had taken shelter in their house.

National Investigation Agency(NIA), which is probing the blast, has announced Rs 5 lakh reward to anyone providing information leading to Sahanur Alam's arrest.

The NIA has so far thrice searched his house in Barpeta district and seized some documents, coins of Arabic countries and bank passbooks.

Sahanur Alam's wife Sujana Begam was arrested from ISBT here on November 6 and is in police custody now.