October 6, 2023
NEW DELHI – In startling revelation, the police have claimed that three suspected ISIS terrorists who were arrested on October 2 were allegedly involved in the 2020 Delhi riots and played a key role in CAA-NRC protests in Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh, according to news agency ANI.
Massive communal riots erupted in Delhi during the CAA-NRC protest. According to the ANI, one of the suspected ISIS terrorist, Arshad, gave the slogan ‘Tera Mera Rishta Kya Hai, La Ilaha Illallah’ during the CAA-NRC protest.
Arshad, who is a PhD scholar, provided shelter to Shahnawaz – the National Investigation Agency’s (NIA) most-wanted terrorist who carried a reward of Rs 3 lakh on his head.
It was Arshad who led the Delhi Police Special Cell to Shahnawaz during the interrogation. Shahnawaz had escaped from the custody of Pune police.
On October 2, the Delhi Police Special Cell arrested Shahnawaz along with Rizwan and Arshad, on charges of conspiring to carry out terrorist attacks across the country.
According to agency sources, the trio was in touch with foreign handlers of ISIS and was allegedly planning to carry out terrorist attacks in the country.
During the interrogation, Arshad told Special Cell that he was radicalized in 2016. A PhD student at Delhi’s Jamia University, Arshad revealed that he was planning a major terrorist attack with Shahnawaz.
As per the police, Shahnawaz Alam alias Abdullah, during interrogation, revealed that he conducted recce of VIP political leaders’ routes in Mumbai, Surat, Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad, for the planting of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and targeted killings.
Delhi Police Special Cell said that bomb-making literature, sent from Pakistan-based handlers, and other incriminating materials were recovered from Shahnawaz’s hideouts.