Finance
New Delhi: The anti-terror agency arrested a suspected ISIS terrorist in Delhi, who was on the National Investigation Agency’s (NIA) most wanted list, during a major crackdown.
The special cell of Delhi Police arrested Shahnawaz, also known as Shafi Uzzama, from a hideout in the national capital. The Delhi Police special cell is among several agencies working with the NIA to crack down on terror networks across several states.
The authorities sought Shahnawaz, an engineer by profession, in connection with the ISIS Pune module case. Sources state that Shahnawaz is originally from Delhi. He faced a prior arrest in Pune but successfully evaded capture. Subsequently, he fled to Delhi and took refuge in a hideout. Currently, authorities are questioning him.
Earlier this month, the NIA had announced a cash reward of ₹ 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.
Authorities allege that the four individuals were connected to an ISIS terror outfit module in Pune, Maharashtra.
The anti-terror agency had last month arrested several persons for allegedly promoting ISIS activities in Pune. The Pune module of ISIS had plans to disrupt peace and communal harmony in the country, an agency official had told news agency PTI.
At the home of one of the arrested accused, Shamil Saquib Nachan, the NIA had found incriminating material that exposed the ISIS conspiracy, he had added. Nachan and others had plans to trigger violence across the country by fabricating and setting off improvised explosive devices, the anti-terror agency had said.
The NIA had said the accused were all members of the ISIS sleeper module. “They had plans to wage a war against the Government of India in furtherance of the ISIS agenda to spread terror and violence with the goal of establishing an Islamic State in the country,” the agency had said.
