Kollam, Tuesday 17 August 2010: A team from the Karnataka police backed by a strong posse of the Kerala police entered the Anwarssery camp of the PDP Chairman Abdul Nazer Maudani at 1.15 p.m. and arrested him as he was about to enter his ambulance and go to the Karunagapally to surrender before the magistrate court there.

Though a group of PDP leaders raised slogans against the police and moved closer to the ambulance, they were quickly dispersed. The driver of Maudani’s ambulance was replaced by a police driver and hand-on-fist the police took control of the ambulance. With heavy police escort, the ambulance was driven out of the Anwarssery complex.

There is no clue as to where the police intend taking Maudani initially. But police sources said that the ambulance is being driven to Bharanikavu and will proceed to Thruvanathapuram through the M.C. Road via Kottarakara.

The Karnataka police have already booked six tickets in Bangalore flight from Thiruvananthapuram. The flight is scheduled to take off from Thiruvananthapuram at 4.40 pm.

The Kerala police can however be satisfied over the fact that the arrest could be executed without any law and order problem.

Tensions were already high at Anwarssery right from early Tuesday morning with the Karnataka Home Minister V.S. Acharya stating around 10 a.m. that Maudani would be arrested within two hours and the latter’s camp announcing that he we will be surrendering before a nearby court.

Following reports of his surrender before a “nearest court” a combination of riot and local police had been deployed heavily at the magistrate court premises at Karunagapally. A team from the Karnataka police was also present there. Since the magistrate of the nearby Sasthamcotta court was on leave there was no police deployment there.

The “excessive” police deployment was condemned by the PDP leaders. They alleged that it created an atmosphere of tension and sending the wrong impression that without such levels of police deployment there would be violence and difficulties in executing the arrest warrant.

Shortly after 12 noon while earlier addressing press persons Maudani said that after the afternoon namaaz along with the orphans living with him at Anwarssery he would surrender before the nearest court. He reiterated that he had been framed in the Bangalore serial blasts case.

He said that he had decided to surrender without waiting for the outcome of his bail plea in the Supreme Court, which is scheduled to be taken up at 2 p.m. on Tuesday. He has also decided surrendering before the court since he has confidence in the judiciary, he said.