New Delhi, Feb 22: In a major counter-terrorism operation, the Special Cell of Delhi Police has dismantled a Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) module with alleged links to Bangladesh, arresting eight operatives including a Kashmiri handler, officials said on Saturday.
The arrests followed coordinated raids in Delhi, Kolkata (West Bengal) and Tiruppur (Tamil Nadu). According to police, seven of the arrested accused are Bangladeshi nationals who had allegedly entered India illegally and procured Indian identity documents to conceal their identities.
The module was allegedly being handled by Shabir Ahmad Lone, a resident of Kangan in Ganderbal district of Jammu and Kashmir, who is presently based in Bangladesh. Police said Lone was earlier arrested and convicted in a 2007 Special Cell case involving recovery of arms and ammunition, including an AK-47 rifle and a grenade, police said in a statement, according to news agency Kashmir Dot Com.
Officials alleged that Lone had fled to Bangladesh to revive the terror network of Lashkar-e-Toiba in India and reactivate sleeper cells of Bangladeshi operatives.
Investigators said the arrested module members had conducted reconnaissance of vital installations in India. The timely arrests may have averted possible terror strikes, police added.
The operation was conducted by teams led by Inspectors Sunil Rajain and Dheeraj under the supervision of ACP Rahul Vikram and DCP (Special Cell/NDR) Amit Kaushik.
From the West Bengal module, police arrested Umar Faruk (31), resident of Malda, West Bengal, Robiul Islam (31), resident of Thakurgaon, Bangladesh, From the Tamil Nadu module, those arrested include Md. Mizanur Rehman (32), Bogura, Bangladesh, Md. Sefayat Hossain (34), Jhalakathi, Bangladesh, Md. Zahidul Islam (40), Bogura, Bangladesh, Md. Liton (40), Bogura, Bangladesh, Md. Uzzal (27), Bogura, Bangladesh and Umar (32), Bogura, Bangladesh
The case originated on February 8 after pro-Pakistan and pro-terror posters were found affixed at Janpath Metro Station and other locations in Delhi. The posters allegedly glorified slain Jaish-e-Mohammad militant Burhan Wani and carried slogans including “India stop genocide & Free Kashmir” and Urdu phrases expressing pro-Pakistan sentiments.
Following a complaint by CISF personnel, an FIR (No. 01/26) was registered at Police Station Supreme Court Metro under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Delhi Prevention of Defacement of Property (DPDP) Act. Given the sensitive nature of the matter, the investigation was later transferred to the Special Cell.
Officials said the Special Cell had already been tracking Lashkar-e-Toiba operatives and their alleged Bangladeshi links in view of recent developments. Human intelligence sources were deployed at multiple locations, and technical analysis helped develop actionable inputs leading to the arrests.
Further investigation is underway. (KDC)
