New Delhi: The two men arrested last week by the special cell for their alleged terror links were planning to identify and target Shiv Sena leaders, said Delhi Police Sunday. While the identity of the man the duo claim to have killed and dismembered is yet to be ascertained, he has been identified as a Hindu because of the trishool (trident) tattoo on his arm, ThePrint has learnt. Recovered body parts have been sent for forensic examination.
According to sources in Delhi Police, the duo, on the behest of their Pakistan-based handler, were planning to target some Shiv Sena leaders in Punjab. Naushad received around Rs 5 lakhs from his handler in Pakistan in the last few months through contacts and hawala, said sources, adding, “Naushad also received Rs 2 lakhs after killing the man here in Delhi.”
Addressing a press conference Sunday, additional commissioner of police, special cell, Pramod Kushwaha said the victim is a Hindu. “They targeted him as they found him vulnerable,” Kushwaha said.
Sources in the Delhi Police said that the two men — Naushad and Jagjit Singh – picked up the victim, an addict, from a park and lured him to their rented accommodation in Bhalswa Dairy area with an offer of drinks before killing him. ThePrint had earlier reported how the duo allegedly made a video of the killing and sent it to their Pakistan-based handler — Sohail — who is associated with terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba and linked to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence, ISI.
During interrogation, the two men said they killed the victim on 15 December, according to police sources. They allegedly made the 37-second video and sent it to Sohail. The body remains were disposed of in a pond. The police team had visited the rented accommodation and found traces of human blood.
“They wanted to prove their capability and that they are committed. They also received funding for this. In the coming months, they were committed to identifying and killing right wing leaders. Jagjit was being handled by gangster-turned-terrorist Arshdeep Sungh alias Arsh Dalla. Naushad was being handled by suspected ISI handlers. Their arrest has averted a major terror attack,” Kushwaha said.
The Delhi Police said Thursday said that they had arrested 29-year-old Jagjit Singh, a native of Uttarakhand, and 56-year-old Naushad from Jahangirpuri. According to the police, three pistols with 22 live cartridges and two grenades were recovered from the men.
Kushwaha said that Jagjit and Naushad first met in the Haldwani jail. “Jagjit has a murder case in Haldwani from 2018. He also has another encounter with the police. Naushad has murder and extortion cases. He met some terror accused and came in touch with cross border elements. Similarly, Jagjit came in touch with the Bambiha gang and then got associated with Arsh Dalla. This is a conference between Pakistan ISI and Arsh Dalla.”
Sources said that Naushad was radicalised during his time in Tihar where he met LeT’s Mohammad Arif alias Ashaq who was in prison as an accused in the 2000 Red Fort attack case. “Naushad met Arif when he was arrested in a murder case. In 2011, he met Sohail. In 2020, when he was arrested in an extortion case in Uttarakhand, he met Jagjit. Jagjit later jumped parole and the duo again got in touch after Naushad got out of jail in April last year,” a senior police officer said.
“Jagjit was told to work on expanding the Khalistan base. Pakistan ISI has been working to bring together extremists groups,” a source had earlier told ThePrint.
(This report has been updated with additional inputs)
(Edited by Smriti Sinha)
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