The Delhi Police in a multi state operation busted a Pakistan ISI-underworld terror module and arrested eight persons, including a Nepali national, who were allegedly planning attacks on vital installations, security establishments and police personnel in Delhi, Mumbai, Chandigarh and Punjab.
The conspiracy was organised by Pakistan ISI and the network of gangster Shahzad Bhatti operating from Pakistan and Dubai.The arrests were made in Delhi, Maharashtra, Punjab.
The accused identified as Vijay ‘Shooter’, who hails from Mirzapur, was arrested on May 14 from Pune while his associate Nitish Paswan, 23, was nabbed from Sahibganj on May 17.Vijay was in regular contact with members of the Shahzad Bhatti network operating from Pakistan and Dubai. He was tasked to carry out various criminal and terror activities in Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and UP. He was also tasked to recruit youth for executing terror activities in Delhi-NCR.
Based on Vijay’s disclosures, two men — Tauqeer Sheikh and Arbaz Khan — were nabbed from Mumbai later. The Special Cell stated that these two were in contact with ISI handlers Yawar Khan and Munna Jhingada. They were recruited by one Huzaifa from Mumbai, who is absconding and was working at the behest of Shahzad Bhatti, Yawar and Munna.
These two accused were reportedly tasked to carry out grenade attacks and firing at vital installations, security establishments and police personnel in Delhi and Mumbai. The accused had prepared a team to attack security personnel and government buildings in Delhi.
The Special Cell then went on to arrested three more identified as Harvinder Singh, Gagandeep Singh and Manjeet Singh, are residents of Punjab. They were intercepted on the Mehrauli-Badarpur Road and police found a heavy cache of arms and ammunition, including grenades and automatic pistols, were recovered.
The team then also arrested a Nepali national, Ang Kami Lama on May 30. He had been tasked by Munna Jhingada to arrange a hideout for the accused in Delhi and fund their activities. Ang Kami Lama was lodged in a Thailand jail from 2001 to 2018 in a narcotics case. There he came in contact with co-inmates Aizaz Rasool and Md. Salim alias Munna Jhingada, both from Pakistan. After coming out of jail, Lama maintained contact with Jhingada, officials informed.
The officials have so far found out that the accused had planned suicide attacks and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) mounted on vehicles. Among the possible targets were the BJP headquarters on Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg and other crowded areas in Central Delhi,