New Delhi: Suspected Islamic State (IS) terrorist Shahnawaz alias Shafi Uzzama, who was on the National Investigation Agency’s (NIA) most wanted list, was arrested Monday by the Delhi Police Special Cell. He was carrying a reward of Rs 3 lakh on his head.
The NIA had earlier this month announced a cash reward of Rs 3 lakh each for information about Shahnawaz and three other terror suspects — Rizwan Abdul Haji Ali, Abdulla Faiyaz Shaikh alias Diaperwala and Talha Liyakat Khan — who are suspected to be part of the Pune-based Al Sufa module.
According to police sources, Shahnawaz was arrested from a hideout near Delhi-Faridabad border. An engineer by profession, Shahnawaz is wanted in the Pune IS module case. Four others have also been detained and teams are questioning them, sources said.
“Liquid chemicals and other incriminating material along with arms and ammunition have been recovered, which are suspected to be used for IED fabrication. The module was planning to carry out terror incidents in north India, taking instructions from foreign-based handlers,” a police source said.
Sources added that, while he is a terror accused in the Pune IS module case, Shahnawaz has multiple other cases of robbery and other less heinous offences against his name.
A resident of Jharkhand, Shahnawaz has completed his Bachelor of Technology in mining from Nagpur. He is believed to be living in different hideouts in Delhi after fleeing Pune.
According to police sources, Shahnawaz, whose father is a retired teacher and mother is a homemaker, had married a Hindu woman who had converted to Islam. He was radicalised online and became involved in the Pune IS module, they added. The sources said he has at least seven to eight cases of robbery registered against him in Hazaribagh, Jharkhand.
Chase in Pune
On 18 July, the Pune city police arrested Mohammed Imran Mohammed Yusuf Khan, 23, and Mohammed Yunus Mohammed Yakub Saki, 24 for allegedly attempting to steal a vehicle from the Kothrud area in the early hours that day.
Shahnawaz, who was part of the gang, managed to flee while being taken to a house search in Kondhwa, by jumping from the police vehicle.
According to the Pune Police, all three had been posing as graphic designers and living in the Mitha Nagar area of Kondhwa in Pune.
Investigating agencies have said that the accused “conducted bomb workshops” in Pune and had even prepared a demo IED for which they did a “controlled explosion” in Kondhwa. They have allegedly also done bomb tests in other parts of Pune.
The Maharashtra Police’s Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) took over the case on 22 July and invoked the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
On 8 August, the NIA was handed over the case following the arrest of two others, Aakif Ateeque Nachan and Zulfikar Ali Barodawala, in Thane district
So far, multiple arrests have been made not just in connection to the Pune terror module, but also the Rajasthan terror module — which the agencies believe are interlinked.
(Edited by Richa Mishra)