Agartala, July 13 (IndianMuslims.info) Close on the heels of the Mumbai train blasts, 11 youths from Maharashtra who belong to Tableeghi Jamaat, a conservative Islamic missionary group were Thursday arrested in Tripura on suspicion of having terror links, police said.

The youths, members of Tablighi Jamat, were arrested from a mosque at Malaya village in Dhalai district along the Bangladesh border. They had arrived in the state via Guwahati June 23.

Police said the group includes an 18-year-old fruit seller and a 33-year-old electronics engineer who was educated in the US.

"We have strong reasons to suspect that they were here with some sinister designs. With their background, present occupation and activities, we cannot rule out that they might have been engaged in assessing and evaluating Muslim youths in the border areas to create a network for far greater terror operations," Tripura police chief G.M. Srivastava said.

"We are looking into whether the youths are involved with any militant outfit. We have also contacted Maharashtra Police to verify their claims."

Tableeghi Jamaat, started in 1920s from Bangle Wali Masjid in Basti Nizamuddin, Delhi has branches all over the wolrd and encourage Muslims to go out in the path of Allah. A group of members called jamaat visit Muslims in different parts of the world and inviting them to return to the true path of Islam.

The arrest of Tableeghi Jamaat members is either a witch-hunt or ignorance on the part of the Tripura police.

Link:

Tablighi Jamaat : at wikipedia
Tripura Police: official site