Odishatv Bureau

Kolkata: Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) militant Rejaul Karim, a key accused in the Oct 2 Burdwan blast in West Bengal, was arrested Saturday by the National Investigation Agency.

Karim, against whom a cash reward of Rs.5 lakh was announced by the NIA, was nabbed from Jharkhand's Sahibganj district.

"Karim who used to stay in Badshahi Road in Burdwan is an active member of JMB and was engaged in manufacturing and transport of bombs to different locations. Since the time of incident, he has been absconding to evade arrest," a NIA officer said.

The accidental blast took place inside a house in Khagragarh in Burdwan killing two JMB militants and injuring another. Several people, mostly Bangladeshi nationals, have been arrested from India and Bangladesh in connection with the blast.

Days after the blast, 39 bombs were recovered from Karim's house in Burdwan.

"After the Oct 2 incident, the injured accused Abdul Hakim had called up Rejaul Karim for providing assistance and evacuation. His interrogation is likely to throw fresh leads and evidence in the investigation of this case," added the NIA officer.

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