LUCKNOW: In a massive anti-terror operation led by Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) and the Delhi Police Special Cell across five states on Thursday, five persons were arrested and for their suspected involvement in a terror outfit operating within the country.
During joint anti-terror raids conducted in coordination with police of Maharashtra, Punjab, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, a total of five persons--two from Bijnor (UP), one each from Mumbai and Jalandhar (Punjab) and one from Belwa (Bihar)-- were held on charges of hatching terror conspiracy.
“In all, nine persons have been taken into custody from across the country for interrogation,” said additional director general of police (Law & Order) Daljeet Chaudhary while interacting with media persons here on Thursday.
He added that the UP ATS had began the five-day operation on the basis of a tip-off that a terror group was active and recruiting new members in western UP, Bihar, Punjab, and Maharashtra.
Muhammad Fauzan and Muhammad Tanveer were arrested by the squad from Barhapur locality in Bijnor on their way to the mosque for morning prayers around 5 am on Thursday. Bijnor senior superintendent Dharamvir Singh said the local police were in loop and had the information about ATS operation.
Twenty six-year-old Najeem Samsad Ahmed from Mumbra in Thane district of Maharashtra was arrested on Wednesday night. A senior Maharashtra ATS officer confirmed the arrest and told the New Indian Express that the team had been keeping track of Ahmed with the help of cyber experts for over a fortnight.
A resident of Devripada of Mumbra, Ahmed is believed to have been close contact with the other two suspects arrested from Uttar Pradesh and Punjab. They were planning to carry out attacks in the country and were recruiting youths from across the country through the internet, the official said.
The police have detained two others from Maharashtra, said sources.
Twenty one-year-old Gazi Babba alias Muzalim was arrested from Sant Nagar in Jalandhar in the wee hours of Thursday. Muzalim, originally from Unnad in UP and a tailor by profession had moved to the city three years ago in search of a job.
When contacted, Jalandhar commissioner Parveen Sinha confirmed the arrest and said that the UP ATS team would take him back to UP after obtaining his transit remand. He is suspected to have been involved in enrolling members for the terror group and preparing them for terror attacks.
Bihar’s Ehtesamul Haq, 27, who had returned from Oman a year back, was arrested from his home in Belwa village. “Haq, the son of Madrasa teacher named Mohammad Alauddin, was interrogated by a team of the district police, UP ATS and Special Cell of Delhi at Sathi police station. A tablet and other electronic gadgets were recovered from his possession,” said West Champaran superintendent Vinay Kumar. Haq was taken on remand by the ATS team to Lucknow, said police sources.
Denying links of those arrested with any established terror group operating from outside India or Ujjain train blast suspect Mohammad Saifullah, who was killed in an operation in old city area of Lucknow recently, Chaudhary said those held on Thursday were self-inspired, self-taught and self-radicalised group of youngsters who were influenced by the terror-related jihadi literature available on internet.
The youths, he said, were contemplating to spread terror by carrying out major strikes at different places across the country to earn an identity for their group.
“They appear to be misguided youth and efforts are being taken to bring them back to the mainstream. However, necessary action would be taken against them on the basis of evidence gathered during the course of interrogation,” the ADG averred.
(with inputs from Namitha Bajpai, Abhijith Mulye, Harpreet Bajwa, Anand S T Das)