Several terror suspects close to the PDP founder had a hand in the blasts last year

Bangalore police suspect a strong link between the Bangalore serial blasts and Abdul Nassar Madani, People's Democratic Party founder and former Islamic Seva Sangh chief.

According to officials, Nazir alias Haji Umar of Kannur, 35, is the son of a rich businessman. Among the top brass of the defunct ISS, he was responsible for inspiring and recruiting youth for jihad.

A senior police officer said he was very close to Madani and his arrest could throw more light on the blasts.

Suspects netted

So far, 10 of the 26 terror suspects in the Bangalore blasts case have been arrested.u00a0 Four of the 12 absconding terrorists are foreign nationals and city police is seeking Interpol's help to nab them.

Four others died in an encounter in Jammu and Kashmir. These terrorists were part of the five men Nazir had recruited in Kerala to send to Pakistan for LeT training. The fifth, Jabbar, who survived the Army ambush, was arrested by the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) of Kerala police in Hyderabad recently.

Jabbar told interrogators from the state Anti-Terror Cell that the LeT operatives trained him for a week in Kashmir and later armed him with an AK-47 assault rifle to cross over to Pakistan.

Abdul Sattar alias Sainudeen, the main suspect in the Bangalore blasts, who was arrested by the city police a few months back, harboured the five men in Hyderabad.

His ISS associate, Abdul Hameed alias Amir Ali, helped them in New Delhi while they were on their way to Pakistan through Kashmir.

Abdul Hameed, a karate instructor and ISS strongman, fled from Kerala in 2000 after police charged him with plotting the murder of then chief minister E Ku00a0 Nayanar after the arrest of Abdul Nassar Madani.

He assumed the name of Amir Ali in New Delhi and acquired a new voter's identity card but the JIT traced him there. Its undercover members travelled with him on a train to Kerala and arrested him at Kasargod. All this lead us to suspect Madani's role in the blast, said a police officer.