Patna: Three persons suspected to be working for a Jammu and Kashmir-based terror group were picked up for interrogation from Gaya, around 110km south of Patna, on Saturday.

Acting on a tip-off, a joint team of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the anti-terrorism squad conducted a raid at Maroofganj in Gaya town and picked up one Anwar alias Munna Mistri. Two others, Mohammad Shami and Mohammad Shad, were also taken into custody from their houses in Gaya district headquarters town.

Sources said a foreign-made pistol was also recovered from the house of Shami. He was planning to go abroad. The sleuths of the intelligence agencies were trying to find out the purpose of his foreign tour. Shad is stated to be an undergraduate student of a local college.

"One suspect was associated with some operatives of Harkat-ul-Mujahidden of Jammu and Kashmir. He not only shared photographs but also used to chat on social networking sites," said a sleuth on condition of anonymity.

Senior police officers were tightlipped. "We are not supposed to share any information. The matter is related to the nation's security and the district police have no role to play," said a senior police officer. He, however, admitted that the suspects were planning to carry out a major attack. The officials of different central and state intelligence agencies were quizzing the suspects at three separate locations in Gaya. One of the suspects came on the radar of the intelligence agencies for frequent transfer of money from his accounts to foreign nationals.

Gaya senior superintendent of police Garima Malik didn't respond to repeated calls from this newspaper.

The detention of the suspects came a day after the visit of Calcutta police's anti-terrorism squad to Bodhgaya.