Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has arrested a man from Saharanpur who had allegedly been given the task of eliminating suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma by Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).
Sharma had been suspended by the party in June after her controversial remarks on Prophet Muhammad made during a television news debate triggered massive protests in the country and anti-India boycott calls from the Arab world.
Identifying him as a “terrorist” in a statement issued Friday evening, the UP ATS has claimed that the Saharanpur resident, Mohammed Nadeem (24), was in direct contact with the JeM and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and was planning a “fidayeen attack”.
It also alleged that he was provided training literature by a “Pakistani terrorist” named Saifullah via social media, and that he had “admitted” during questioning that the JEM terrorist tasked him with Sharma’s killing.
“Accused Mohammed Nadeem has admitted that the Pak-based JeM terrorist tasked him with the murder of Nupur Sharma,” the ATS statement said.
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PDF of ‘explosives course’, ‘chats with terrorists’ recovered
The ATS said it received information from associate agencies that Nadeem, who belongs to a village in Saharanpur’s Gangoh area, was influenced by the ideology of terror groups like the JEM and others.
“Taking immediate action on the sensitive input, the ATS questioned him and after primary examination of the mobile phone, a PDF document titled ‘Explosive Course Fidae Force’ was found in the device. Apart from this, chats and voice messages allegedly exchanged with terrorists of JeM and other terror groups from Pakistan and Afghanistan were recovered from the phone of Mohammed Nadeem,” said the statement.
According to a 2017 article by Afghan news agency Pajhwok, the word ‘Fidae’ finds mention in the name of the organisation ‘Mahaz-i-Fidae’, headed by Mullah Najibullah Wardak. Mahaz-i-Fidae is one of the three groups that the Afghan terror group Tehreek-i-Taliban Afghanistan (TTA) has been divided into.
The agency had quoted late political affairs expert Waheed Muzhda as saying that “the group mainly operated in the northern parts of Afghanistan and its network was in Pakistan” and that “the Mahaz-i-Fidae and Daesh groups mainly target foreign missions”.
When Nadeem was subjected to detailed questioning about the chats and the explosives course of the ‘Fidae Force’, he, according to the ATS, said that he was in contact with different terrorists of the JeM and other terror groups since 2018 via different social platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, IMO, Facebook Messenger, Clubhouse etc.
‘Underwent training to create virtual numbers’
The ATS further claimed that the terrorists Nadeem was in touch with trained him on how to create virtual numbers, and the accused later allegedly provided over 30 virtual numbers and virtual social media IDs to these terrorists.
A virtual phone number helps one make digitised calls without the need for a physical SIM card and there is no limit or demarcation of a physical location.
Usually operating via the voice over internet protocol (VOIP), virtual calling helps one maintain anonymity and has increasingly been linked to international terrorism.
Even Adil Dar, the suicide bomber of the 2019 Pulwama attack had reportedly used virtual SIM technology to stay in constant touch with his JeM handler and key conspirator of the attack Mudassir Khan.
The ATS claimed that “Pakistani terrorist” Saifullah was responsible for providing Nadeem with training material via social media for preparing the latter for a fidayeen attack.
“…this was studied by Nadeem and he was searching for material related to it with which he can resort to a fidayeen attack on a government building or a police premises,” said the ATS release.
‘Had been called to Pakistan for training’
ATS sources said Nadeem informed them that terrorists from JeM and other terror groups active in Afghanistan and Pakistan had been calling him to Pakistan for special training where he would have gone after getting a visa, and that he was also planning to go to Syria and Afghanistan via Egypt.
An FIR has been lodged against Nadeem under IPC sections 121A (conspiring to commit certain offences against the State) and 123 (concealing with intent to facilitate design to wage war) and various sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.
Two SIM cards, training material for preparation of different IEDs and bombs have also been recovered, said the ATS.
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)
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