The arrest of Ayesha Bano by the Bihar police, for her alleged role in the Patna blasts at Panjimogeru in Mangalore, on Monday night has rattled local residents.
The sleuths swooped down on her house and whisked her away, even before neighbours could realise what was happening. When television channels started flashing the news, they were too shocked to believe it. After that, the house was found locked.
The Bihar police, in co-ordination with the local police, picked her up from her house Ayesha Manzil and have taken transit remand from a local court, so as to take her to Patna on Wednesday, for investigation in connection with the case registered at the Lakhisarai police station.
Bano lived in a small terraced house with her husband Zubair, a small-time beedi contractor, and their three children. The neighbours said the last time they saw her was on Monday evening. According to Bano’s neighbour Mohammed Ali, she was born to Hindu parents from Madikeri. She fell in love with Zubair and converted to Islam at the time of marriage some 18 years ago. Even after marriage, Ayesha was in touch with her family in Madikeri.
Neighbours are surprised at the allegations. They said that she had some health issues and would take ill often.
She is alleged to have acted as a conduit for transferring funds from Pakistan to local networks in India. The modus operandi was to draw money from ATM and transfer it.
Local corporator Dayananda Shetty said that Bano and her husband would frequently quarrel and he had helped sort out the problems many times. Zubair is said to have married another woman in Bajpe.
Sources said Zubair and the couple’s elder son Amir have also been taken into custody. Police returned to Ayesha Manzil on Tuesday along with her and searched the house for more documents. They are believed to have found details of five bank accounts, ATM cards, cheque books and voter ID.
