Arrested ISIS terrorists conspired in Delhi riots, says Police

NEW DELHI: After three suspected terrorists were arrested by the Delhi Police in the Islamic State (IS) module case on October 2, new developments in the case have put the spotlight on Arshad, a Ph.D. student, and his alleged involvement in the Delhi riots conspiracy case.

The suspected terrorist has also been accused of his key role in the conspiracy of riots in Delhi during the CAA-NRC Protest. Sources said that Arshad gave the slogan 'Tera Mera Rishta Kya Hai, La Ilaha Illallah' during the CAA-NRC Protest.

Following this, the accused has also been connected to the 2020 Delhi riots and for playing a key role in setting up the Shaheen Bagh protest site. As per sources, the PhD student Arshad provided shelter to the National Investigation Agency's (NIA) most-wanted terrorist Shahnawaz, who had escaped from Pune police custody and had a reward of Rs 3 lakh, in Delhi.

It was only after the interrogation of Arshad, that the Delhi Police Special Cell reached the wanted accused Shahnawaz, said sources. On October 2, the Delhi Police Special Cell arrested terrorist Shahnawaz with a reward of Rs 3 lakh, along with Rizwan and Arshad, on charges of conspiring to carry out an attack in the country.

According to sources, the three accused were also associated with a terrorist organization like 'ISIS' and were allegedly planning terrorist attacks in the country.

According to the Special Cell, the arrested Arshad is a PhD student at Jamia University of Delhi. He was arrested on charges of terrorist conspiracy and revealed during interrogation that he has been a radical since 2016. The accused also stated that he had known Shahnawaz for a long time and that both of them were planning a terrorist attack together, stated sources.

As per the police, Shahnawaz Alam alias Abdullah, during interrogation, revealed that he conducted a recce of VIP political leaders' routes in Mumbai, Surat, Gandhinagar, and Ahmedabad, for the planting of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and targeted killings.

Delhi Police Special Cell said that bomb-making literature, sent from Pakistan-based handlers, and other incriminating materials were recovered from Shahnawaz's hideouts. "Several explosives-making materials including, elementary, plastic tubes, and iron pipes, were recovered. (Apart from it) Pistol, cartridges, and bombmaking literature sent from Pak-based handlers were (also) recovered," the Special CP (Special Cell) had said on Wednesday.

The police also said that initial interrogation revealed that the accused had conducted elaborate recce in Western Ghats, Hubbali, Dharwad, and Ahmedabad in Gujarat to establish their hideouts.