HYDERABAD, Sept 1: A sweet meat shop owner, Ahmed Ali, was picked up by the police here on Sunday for his alleged link with a banned Jihadi group.

Mr Ali was picked up by officials of the Crime Investigation Cell (CIC) and detained at the Baldia police station. Later, he was taken to the Makki Shah police station. On Monday, he was again shifted to the CIC office.However, no case was registered against him.

A CIC official told this correspondent that some material was recovered from the possession of Mr Ali who was also required to be interrogated in the bomb blast cases.

Another CIC source said that Mr Ali had visited Kandhar in Afghanistan and had links with the Jaish-i-Muhammad.

Mr Ali had put a box at his shop to collect donations for Jihad.

A police official said that Mr Ali and his brother were interrogated for their links with a banned militant organization.

It was learnt that another man, Maulana Babar, was picked up from the Liaquat Colony and yet another suspect from Kotri.

BOOK FAIR: District Nazim Dr Makhdoom Rafiquzzaman here on Monday inaugurated a book fair, organized by the Oxford University Press, at the Basant Hall.