Tumakuru: Police sources who raided a few places in Tumakuru city said that the city is turning into a main centre for terror suspects to hide and plan terror activities.

According to a report in The Times of India, Central Crime Branch of Bengaluru police and Hyderabad anti-terror squad officials, raided a few suspected terror hideouts in Tumakuru city on Monday, found important documents like photographs of politicians, maps, students’ contact numbers and gadgets.

Police who raided three houses in different parts of the city said that the houses were taken on rent by a few faculties teaching holy books at prayer halls and they did not find anyone there.

The National Investigation Agency arrested three terror suspects who gave statements which helped the police zero in on three houses.

Police sources say that the nearness of the city to Bengaluru, helps the suspects escape.

It is also said that the terror suspects held meetings in the Tumakuru forest. They were planning to ignite nationwide violence during protests at the Jawaharlal Nehru University controversy after JNU student leader Kanhaiaya Kumar was arrested. Even the accused in 2010 blast near Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, Yasin Bhatkal used to operate from Tumakuru.

Tumakuru already has history when petrol bombs and gelatin sticks were recovered here in the 90s.

Since the number of students from outside the state and country are large in number in the various engineering and medical colleges in Tumakuru, it is but natural that police are on a look out for anything out of the ordinary.