The accused in the Pune (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) ISIS terror module case intended to execute a reenactment of the 2008 terror attacks against hotels and restaurants in Colaba and Nariman Point, according to a report in The Free Press Journal.
They aimed to carry out their terror operation prior to the anniversary of the deadly assaults in Mumbai which sent shockwaves around the entire world. Their goal was to launch the attacks again, particularly on hotels, restaurants and establishments such as Chabad House in Colaba.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) discovered during its inquiry that the perpetrators Shahnawaz Alam and Rizwan Ali had performed surveillance on Chabad House as well as several hotels and eateries in Mumbai. They wanted to inflict a series of explosions on the city and determine where to plant the bombs. The Intelligence reports revealed that they kept in close contact with their Pakistani handler and disclosed all the specifics of their operation, planning and implementation.
The culprits intended to follow the same course of action as the attackers on 26/11, when Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab and ten other terrorists targeted Leopold Cafe, Taj Hotel, Oberoi Hotel and Chabad House with the goal of orchestrating mass executions, per sources. A supplemental chargesheet outlining Shahnawaz Alam and Rizwan Ali’s involvement in the development and management of the terror module is scheduled for submission by the national agency.
The inquiry unveiled that the two paid Rs. 95,000 to a Vikhroli resident who had posted an advertisement for a used Enfield motorcycle on social media. They also bought a Hero XPulse from Mulund which they utilised for reconnaissance. and concealed the two-wheeler at a friend’s Panvel home after the inspection. The NIA later located and retrieved the vehicle. The probe further uncovered that they collected pictures and did an assessment of critical locations and important infrastructure.
Sangli and Satara were on target
The NIA uncovered that the accused had chosen a few areas for training close to Pune, Sangli and Satara. They also used a drone camera, which the agency eventually retrieved, to record their operations through photography and video. Furthermore, twenty-eight audio files that were taken from the offenders during the course of the investigation contained violent instructions designed to instigate Muslims to perpetrate violence on non-Muslims.
Good with technology
According to an anonymous officer, the accused have fully embraced radicalism and are deemed to be more dangerous than the attackers of 11 September 2001 who attacked the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. They were adept at building bombs, technologically astute, and above all anti-democratic. The official stated that Sharia Law is paramount above the Indian Constitution and that participating in any kind of election is “haram” based on their fundamentalist beliefs.
Pune ISIS module
An ISIS module that was operating in the state of Maharashtra was taken down by the NIA on 3 July. The central investigation agency made four arrests during raids in Mumbai, Thane, and Pune. The accused are Tabish Nasser Siddiqui, Zubair Noor Mohammed Shaikh, Sharjeel Shaikh and Zulfikar Ali Barodawala. According to reliable information provided to the NIA, the four terrorists and their allies were enlisting young people and teaching them how to construct weapons and improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
Mohammed Shahnawaz Shafiuzzama Alam was arrested by the Delhi Police’s Special Cell on 2 October. He was wanted by the NIA and had a bounty of Rs 3 lakh on him. He told authorities that his terror group was targeting Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh locations throughout the nation including Hindu temples in Mumbai. He claimed to have carried out practice explosives at five locations in India including Nuh, Mewat, Delhi, Lucknow, and Rudraprayag with the goal of starting a terror assault similar to what happened on 26 September 2001.
Rizwan Abdul Haji Ali, a second-year dropout from Jamia Millia Islamia against whom the NIA had also announced a reward of Rs 3 lakh was arrested in 2018 along with his brother for alleged ISIS links but no substantial evidence was found against them. He was released after a deradicalisation programme. He went to Pune two years ago and informed his parents that he was running a computer business there. He was married there and lived with his wife and the couple returned to Delhi after his father got ill and he left his month only two months before.
