Delhi Police busts 'Khilafat' terror module linked to Pakistan, 5 held after multi-state raids

New Delhi: The Delhi Police Special Cell has busted a terror module with links to Pakistan and arrested five suspected operatives after raids across multiple states, an official said on Thursday.

The suspects, radicalised through social media by a Pakistan-based handler, were allegedly planning to acquire land, declare it a 'Khilafat zone' and wage 'jihad' in India, Additional Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Pramod Kushwah said at a press conference here.

He said the accused were being guided to spread the idea of 'Ghazwa-e-Hind' (raid of India) and initiate violent activities.

The arrested accused have been identified as Ashar Danish alias Ashrar Qureshi (23), an English honours graduate from Ranchi; Aftab Qureshi and Sufiyan Abubakar, both from Mumbai; Mohammad Huzaifa from Telangana, and Kamran Qureshi from Madhya Pradesh.

The module was headed by Danish, who coordinated with other members and executed tasks on behalf of the handler, who was known by code names such as 'CEO', 'Gazba' and 'Professor', Additional CP Kushwah told reporters.

He said the Pakistan-based handler provided weapon designs, ideological guidance and instructions for fabricating Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) to the module's operatives through encrypted social media chats.

Kushwah said the operation began with the arrest of Aftab and Sufiyan near Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station in Delhi. The accused were in the city to procure weapons from a Mewat-based man and had been trying to leave when they were apprehended.

"Our teams had been monitoring their activities for the last six months. Two suspects were arrested when they were planning to leave Delhi. They also planned to recruit young people in their group," said Kushwah.

Based on the disclosure of the two, teams led by Deputy Commissioner of Police Amit Kaushik carried out raids at Ranchi in Jharkhand, Rajgarh in Madhya Pradesh, and Telangana, leading to the arrest of three more suspects, Kushwah said.

He said significant recoveries were made from the suspects' hideouts. The probe team found sulfur powder, sodium bicarbonate, ball bearings, gas masks, electrical wires, fuse points, cartridges and other components used in making IEDs from the raided locations. The electronic devices seized are being analysed by Central agencies.

"During the operation, we detained 11 people, who are being questioned. Of this, five people have already been arrested. They were arrested on Wednesday and will be further taken on police remand so that they can be interrogated," Kushwah said.

The accused have been receiving training on how to make weapons and cartridges, the Additional CP said.

The group was also in the process of raising funds to purchase land to establish a 'Khilafat zone', a model previously attempted in Maharashtra by Saquib Nachan, he said.

Preliminary probe suggests that the module is a new network with no links to previously busted terror organisations. The Pakistan-based handler used social media platforms exclusively for communication and recruitment, he added.

Police said the accused are being interrogated to ascertain their wider network, sources of funding and potential targets. The arrests have averted a major terror strike in the country, they said.