A man suspected to have links with terror outfits was taken into custody by police from the premises of a court here on Saturday, sources said. Malayalam News Channels aired video of the man being whisked away by police from the district court premises.
Police did not answer queries by the media. However, his lawyer told a channel that the man from Kodungallur in Thrissur district, who returned from Bahrain two days ago, and a woman were picked up by police as they came to the court to move a plea to "prove his innocence" before law enforcement agencies following reports that he had links with Lashkar-e-Taiba members who had reportedly intruded into Tamil Nadu from neighbouring Sri Lanka.
The lawyer said the man approached the court through him on Saturday morning, claiming that he had "no involvement" with the reported infiltration of terrorists into the country.
He said the man had told him that his ID proof was misused by someone and he was being trapped in the case. He is being interrogated by top police officials at a police guest house in the city, sources said. Security was tightened in Tamil Nadu on Friday following reports that six members of the terror outfit LeT had infiltrated the state by sea from Sri Lanka and moved to different cities.
Coimbatore Police Commissioner Sumit Sharan had on Friday said the city was under a high alert following information that the terrorists were heading there.