In September this year, Delhi Police arrested 11 individuals linked to an Al-Qaeda-inspired terror module, including Dr Ishtiaq from Ranchi, Jharkhand. The terror module aimed to turn India into an Islamic nation. During the investigation, Delhi Police reportedly found that the Al-Qaeda-inspired terror module planned to collect funds for jihad using the PM-Kisan Yojana (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi). In a statement to the city court, Delhi Police informed the court that two of the arrested individuals were beneficiaries of the PM-Kisan scheme. They allegedly provided money for the purchase of arms to support terrorist activities in the country.
The police are reportedly searching for individuals who filled out the scheme’s forms on behalf of the accused. Notably, the arrests were based on inputs received from central agencies indicating that a highly radicalised Islamic group based in Jharkhand, with sympathisers in Delhi, was planning a terrorist attack.
A police officer was quoted by The Indian Express as saying, “After their arrest, they were questioned by Delhi Police and the central agencies. Later, they were sent to judicial custody in Tihar Jail. However, upon discovering fresh evidence, the police obtained six-day custody of eight of the accused earlier this week.”
Additional Sessions Judge Dr Hardeep Kaur at the Patiala House Courts stated in an order issued on 12 November, “An application has been moved by the investigating officer seeking police custody of eight accused for six days as a witness stated that some other persons are also involved in the conspiracy, and those individuals need to be identified and interrogated. The witness revealed that the accused planned to accumulate funds for jihad through the PM-Kisan Yojana, and the persons who filled the forms on behalf of the accused need to be identified.”
Initial raids in the case were conducted on 22 August, during which six individuals were arrested: 32-year-old Anamul Ansari, 32-year-old Shahbaz Ansari, 35-year-old Altaf Ansari, 32-year-old Hasan Ansari, 26-year-old Arshad Khan, and 20-year-old Umar Farooq. They were reportedly undergoing weapons training at Sare Kalan Ki Pahgadi in Ajmeri Naka, Bhiwadi, Rajasthan.
A senior police official stated, “Two trainers and one trainee managed to escape from the spot. Police recovered an assault rifle, a pistol, a revolver, 66 live cartridges of different calibres, a hand grenade, a key remote control mechanism with a battery, a handmade carbine, and a dummy INSAS rifle.”
Following the initial raid, another was conducted in Ranchi in September, leading to the arrest of five individuals: 49-year-old Dr Ishtiyaq Ahmad alias Captain, 40-year-old Mohammed Rizwan, 40-year-old Moti-Ur-Rehman, 30-year-old Mohammed Rahmantulla, and 47-year-old Faizan Ahmad. During the raid, a handmade SLR, a handmade carbine, and Rs 5.1 lakh were recovered. Dr Ishtiyaq was reportedly the head of the terror module, according to the police.
The police stated, “All 11 accused are from different villages in Ranchi. After questioning and with the help of technical surveillance, it was found that two of the accused, Hasan and Anamul, made multiple visits to the Central Jail in Jamshedpur to meet Abdul Rehman Katki, posing as his relatives.”
Additional Sessions Judge Hardeep Kaur noted, “Anamul tried to procure a SIM card but failed, so he may have approached someone else for its procurement. That individual needs to be identified. A witness revealed that Umar bought firecrackers to prepare bombs at the behest of Anamul. The witness also stated that the accused travelled to Bud Kohkra, Chatra, Baans Jadi, and various other locations to recruit young individuals for jihad, who also need to be identified.”
The order further noted, “Counsel for the accused submitted that, based on the grounds stated in the application, there is no need to grant police custody as the accused can be interrogated while in judicial custody. He also claimed that he had filed an application alleging that the police had beaten the accused in custody and forced them to sign blank papers.”
“In view of the submissions made, the application stands allowed. Accused Anamul, Shahbaz, Hasan, Arshad, Umar, Dr Ishtiyaq, Rizwan, and Rahmantulla are remanded to police custody and will be produced on 18 November. Needless to say, it is the duty of the investigating officer to ensure the health and safety of the accused in accordance with Section 56 of the CrPC. They must be medically examined during the remand period as per applicable rules,” the order stated.
Background of the terror module
The investigation into the Al Qaeda Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) module, led by Dr Ishtiaq, uncovered a well-planned network aimed at training individuals for terror attacks in India. Dr Ishtiaq, a radiologist from Ranchi, organised training camps in remote areas like Nakata forest in Jharkhand, where recruits were taught to handle weapons and prepare for suicide bombings. The group’s goal was to establish an Islamic state in India, and Dr Ishtiaq had also expanded the module’s operations to Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. Investigation revealed that he was planning to build a suicide squad.
Raids by Jharkhand ATS and Delhi Police’s Special Cell uncovered a large number of weapons, including AK-47 rifles and hand grenades. Investigators also discovered links between the module and a major land scam in Jharkhand. There are suspicions that money from this scam was used to fund terrorist activities. The Enforcement Directorate is now looking into these connections, focusing on people like Bablu Khan, a relative of Dr. Ishtiaq, who is already under investigation for the scam. This case highlights the dangerous link between organised crime and terrorism in India.
