NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police’s Special Cell, Jharkhand Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), and Ranchi police have arrested two suspected ISIS operatives in a joint operation conducted across different states, officials said on Wednesday.
The prime accused, identified as Bokaro native Ashhar Danish, was arrested in Ranchi. Danish was wanted in a case registered by the Delhi Police Special Cell linked to an ISIS module. Another suspect, Aftab, was apprehended in Delhi during simultaneous raids carried out by the joint teams, police said.
According to sources, at least eight more people have been detained from different states, and their roles are being investigated. Several electronic devices were seized from a lodge where Danish was staying, with officials describing his arrest as the exposure of a major terrorist conspiracy. The Jharkhand ATS said objectionable material and weapons were recovered from Danish. The Delhi Police’s Special Cell also recovered chemicals, documents, and maps from his lodge room.
“Nitric acid, hydrochloric acid and many other chemicals and metals, used for making explosives, have been recovered from suspected terrorist Ashhar Danish,” said Jharkhand ATS SP Rishabh Jha. He added that two more suspects were arrested in Delhi in connection with the case and the entire matter is under investigation.
Police sources said, “Delhi Police Special Cell received a tip-off about the suspected ISIS terrorist, after which a joint team of Ranchi Police, Delhi Police Special Cell and Jharkhand ATS conducted a raid at the lodge and arrested Ashhar Danish.”
Danish was staying at Tabarak Lodge in Islamnagar under Lower Bazar police station, Ranchi. A resident of Bundu Panchayat in Bokaro’s Petarwar police station area, Danish is the son of senior Tenughat Court lawyer Mazharul Hasan. His mother is a teacher, while his younger brother studies law in Patna.
Investigators suspect Danish has links with ISIS and are questioning him to uncover details about his activities, contacts, and possible sleeper cells operating in Jharkhand and other states.