New Delhi: Delhi Police said Saturday that they busted a Pakistan-backed ISI-underworld terror module and arrested eight suspected operatives, including a Nepali national, allegedly planning attacks on vital installations, security establishments and police personnel in Delhi and other cities.
The arrests were made in a coordinated multi-state operation that exposed a conspiracy allegedly orchestrated by Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), underworld operatives and gangster-turned-handler Shahzad Bhatti, with plans to target locations in Delhi, Mumbai, Punjab and Chandigarh, they said.
In Mumbai, the targets were railway stations, parks and bridges, police said.
Special Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Anil Shukla said at a press conference that four Pakistan-made hand grenades, two Glock pistols, 24 live cartridges, a stolen motorcycle and a stolen scooter were recovered from the accused.
The accused are Vijay alias Shooter (23) from Uttar Pradesh, Nitish Paswan (23) from Jharkhand, Taoqeer Rizwan Ahmad Shaikh (27) and Sajid Mehboob Shaikh alias Arbaz Khan (27) from Maharashtra, Harvinder Singh (28), Gagandeep Singh (28) and Manjeet Singh (23) from Punjab, and Nepali national Anag Kami Lama (66).
A case under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) has been registered at the Special Cell police station.
According to police, the operation was launched following inputs that operatives linked to Pakistan-based handlers and underworld networks were planning attacks on strategic targets and security personnel in several cities.
Police first arrested Vijay alias Shooter from Pune on May 14, and his associate Nitish Paswan from Sahibganj in Jharkhand on May 17.
Police said Vijay was allegedly in contact with members of Bhatti’s network operating from Pakistan and Dubai and was tasked with recruiting youths to carry out terror-related activities across Delhi-NCR and several northern states. Police said these youths were promised lakhs of rupees after executing the terror attacks.
Interrogation of the two accused and technical analysis subsequently led investigators to Mumbai, where Taoqeer and Sajid were arrested on May 27.
Officials said the two men allegedly worked under the direction of Pakistan-based handlers Yawar Khan and Munna Jhingada and were recruited through an absconding operative identified as Huzaifa.
“They were tasked to carry out grenade attacks and firing incidents targeting vital installations, security establishments and police personnel in Delhi and Mumbai,” a police officer said.
Further interrogation revealed that the same handlers directed another module from Punjab to execute similar attacks in the national capital.
Acting on the inputs, Special Cell teams intercepted Harvinder Singh, Gagandeep Singh and Manjeet Singh on the Mehrauli-Badarpur Road around 1 am on Friday and recovered a cache of arms and ammunition from their possession, police said.
Technical analysis and questioning of the Punjab-based accused led investigators to Lama allegedly tasked with arranging safe houses in Delhi and handling finances for the network at the behest of underworld operative Munna Jhingada.
Police said mobile phones recovered from the accused contained incriminating chats and communications with Pakistan-based handlers.
Investigators alleged that the module was being directed by Jhingada, a known associate of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim, along with Bhatti and other ISI-linked operatives.
According to police, Jhingada had allegedly carried out an attack on gangster Chhota Rajan in Bangkok in 2000 at Dawood Ibrahim’s behest and later spent 17 years in a Thailand prison.
The probe revealed that Lama was also imprisoned in Thailand between 2001 and 2018 in a narcotics case, where he allegedly came into contact with Pakistani nationals, including Jhingada.
Police said he remained in touch with the underworld operative after his release.
Officials said interrogation of the accused has revealed the possible involvement of additional operatives, including some based in Nepal, and efforts are underway to identify and apprehend them.
A few more people have been detained in connection with the case.
PTI
