Maharashtra ATS conducts searches in Thane; incriminating documents seized, 2 cases registered

Mumbai, Jun 2 (PTI) The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad on Monday conducted searches in Thane district, including at the houses of some former office-bearers and members of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) on the basis of specific intelligence, officials said.

Twelve persons were detained in these searches and then released later after detailed questioning, an official said, adding that they and others may be called later as the probe progresses.

Two cases under provisions of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Arms Act were registered following the searches in which mobile handsets, sword, knife, property documents, material used for terror activities and radicalisation of youth as well as incriminating documents were seized, he said.

The Thane unit of the ATS, with the assistance of the Thane rural police, started searches around 4 am at Padgha and Borivali villages in the district adjoining Mumbai, the official said.

Heavy security was deployed in the two villages, he said, adding that personnel from the ATS and Thane rural police had amassed at Padgha on Sunday night itself.

In the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack on tourists, there was need to take preventive steps against anti-national elements that can provide logistic support for terror related activities, an ATS statement said.

As there were previous incidents in which persons involved in various terrorist modules were arrested from Borivali in Padgha of Thane district, the ATS had kept strong vigil on the activities there, it stated.

The ATS had specific intelligence that Saquib Nachan, a former office bearer of banned outfit SIMI, and his associates had brainwashed and instigated people from the village to participate in anti-national activities, the statement mentioned.

There were inputs that the associates of Nachan's outfit were activated and there is a possibility that they can carry out terrorist activities, it added.

Accordingly, ATS Thane Unit had obtained a warrant from the court to conduct a search at the residences of the suspects in Padgha village, the official said.

ATS personnel searched almost two dozen houses and the premises of former office-bearers and members of the banned SIMI, including Saquib Nachan, Aaquib Saquib Nachan, Abdul Latif Kaskar, Kaif Nachan and Shajil Nachan, he said.

Farak Zubair Mulla (60), a land broker and former member of SIMI, was also among those whose houses were searched, the official said.

It came to light that he had gone on Hajj in Saudi Arabia. His elder brother, Hasib Zubair Mulla, was accused in the 2002 and 2003 Mumbai train bomb blast cases.

Hasib served a 10-year sentence, and since December 9, 2023, has been behind bars with Saquib Nachan at a prison in Delhi in an ISIS module case, the official said.

Abdul Latif Kaskar (27), whose house was also searched, works in a godown. He is a close friend of Farhan Suse, who was detained by security agencies in an ISIS module case in Delhi.

During the searches, six persons were not available at their residences, the official said.

"The 12 persons who were detained and brought to Padgha police station for detailed interrogation were later released. However, as the probe progresses, we will call more persons for questioning as and when the need arises, including these 12," the official informed.

In 2023, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted searches in Padgha as part of a nationwide crackdown on the terror outfit ISIS and arrested several persons, including Saquib Nachan. PTI DC GK BNM