Sources in CB-CID, which investigated the May 1, 2014 blasts on a Bengaluru-Guwahati train at the Chennai Central station which killed a young software engineer, said the Madhya Pradesh police were apprehensive that the duo might escape if they were sent here.
Out of the three accused in the case, Aijajudeen was killed in an encounter by police on April 4, 2015 at Suryapet in Telangana and the remaining two Zakir Hussain, and Mehboob died in the encounter today. Their death virtually brings the curtains down on the case.
"A prisoners' transit warrant was obtained to bring Zakir Hussain and Mehboob to Chennai in connection with the Chennai blasts case. However, MP authorities were concerned. They thought that the duo may try to escape if sent out," a senior police official told PTI.
He said by July this year, the PT warrant was obtained for the duo, however, it remained pending.
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Another official said, "all legal procedures will be followed in the case" with the death of the accused persons, but did not elaborate.
The SIMI activists, called "Khandwa module" in police parlance, were behind a number of serious crimes.
After their escape in 2013, they were involved in a number of crimes including the Rs 46 lakh heist at SBI's Choppadandi branch at Karimnagar in Telangana in February 2014, police said.
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