New Delhi, Wednesday 2 December 2009: After days of dilly dallying, the Union Home Ministry on Wednesday confirmed the arrest of Thadiyantavide Naseer, suspected LeT Commander of South India. GK Pillai, Secretary to the Indian Ministry of Home (interior) Affairs today confirmed his arrest at a press conference in New Delhi. Naseer has been booked in many cases and is a prime suspect in some other.

The police registered their arrest in the Meghalaya border. According to reports, Naseer was arrested by the Bangladesh police one week ago on information from the US that he was associated with David Coleman Headley, the suspected Lashkar e Toiba operative arrested in Chicago. The Kerala-Kashmir terrorism case up when four Keralites were killed by the army in an encounter in the Kashmir valley. Thadiyantavide Naseer is reportedly found to have helped the men reach Kashmir for terrorist activities.

The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), the investigative wing of the Bangladesh police, arrested the 35-year old, when Naseer along with his aid Sharfaraz crossed the Bibir Bazar border in Comilla on November 6, Naseer had reportedly escaped to Bangladesh via Kolkatta.

The Bangladesh police are going on with the investigation against Naseer. The arrest was made possible reportedly by the connections Naseer had with the suspected LeT activists arrested by the RAB earlier. The RAB arrested the three suspected LeT activists as per the information given by the FBI.

The FBI had reportedly informed the RAB that the three men were related to David Coleman Headley and Rana, the suspected LeT activists arrested in the USA. The RAB is now reportedly investigating whether Naseer too had connections with Headley and Rana.

Naseer is one of the people wanted by the RAW. He is also the third accused in the Kerala-Kashmir terror case in Kerala. The case was that Naseer had helped the suspected terrorists to go to the Kashmir valley. Four Keralites were killed reportedly in an encounter with the Indian army in Kashmir in October 2008.

Naseer is accused in three cases of murder. He is also accused in the case of attempt to murder former Chief Minister EK Nayanar and many other cases. He has also been accused in the Bangalore bomb blast, Kozhikode twin blasts and the case of setting ablaze a bus of the Tamil Nadu Road Transport Corporation in Ernakulam.

Naseer is a resident of Kannur in north Kerala. He is reported to have escaped from Kerala while investigations were going on in the Kashmir terror case.