On Friday, February 16, Uttar Pradesh’s Special Task Force (STF) thwarted a possible terror attack as they arrested a youth named Javed Shaikh from Muzaffarnagar. They also recovered four time bombs from him. He is currently being interrogated.
A bomb squad was also summoned from Meerut. Special Task Force (STF) sources revealed that he was apprehended in the Khalapar area in Muzaffarnagar on the morning of 16th February.
The police said that the accused had built similar bombs and distributed them during the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots.
UP : STF ने मुजफ्फरनगर के खालापार इलाके से जावेद सहित जिन दो युवकों को टाइमर/रिमोट बम सहित पकड़ा है, वो मुजफ्फरनगर दंगों में भी शामिल रहे हैं। उन दंगों में भी ऐसे बमों का इस्तेमाल हुआ, ये दावा STF ने किया है। https://t.co/vBKtMZZJDp pic.twitter.com/JibdgsTX3m
— Sachin Gupta (@SachinGuptaUP) February 16, 2024
The bombs were found with the culprit who manufactured them in Muzaffarnagar. These bombs were reportedly going to be part of a major conspiracy. Javed informed the STF that they were made on the order of a woman named Imrana. The cops are now searching for the female.
Javed had previously developed and distributed similar bombs during the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots. His maternal family lives in Nepal. The police are also looking into his ties with the neighbouring country.
Their informer tipped off the police that Javed is about to arrive on the Nyajupura bridge of Kaali River with some suspicious items after a unit of STF Meerut and local police reached there promptly and captured him. They discovered the bombs inside a box of campus shoes upon frisking him and a bomb squad was immediately called to the scene. Afterwards, the squad defused the explosives in the Nyajupura forest, far away from the location. Other local authorities including the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) were also made aware of the situation.
Javed unveiled that these were improvised explosive device (IED) bottle bombs which contained gun powder-999, iron pellets, cotton and POP among other things. He bought glucose bottles from doctors, iron nails from bicycle shops and watch machinery from watch stores. They were prepared by him at the behest of Imrana, wife of Azad, a resident of the Bantikhera village under Babri Police Station of the Shamli district in exchange for Rs 50,000. He was already paid Rs 10,000 and the rest of the amount was set to be given on the delivery of the bombs. Javed was captured while he was on his way to deliver the bombs to Imrana.
He divulged that he made the gunpowder and IED while staying at the home of his late uncle Mohammad Arjashi son of Khalil, a native of Mimlana Road, Ramlila Tilla who made fireworks. He learned about the construction of bombs and gathered some knowledge through the internet and YouTube. Notably, Imarana alone knows the precise location and timing of when these explosives were supposed to be used.
In a statement, Uttar Pradesh Additional Director General of Police, Law & Order and state STF chief Amitabh Yash said, “Two accused were arrested in Muzaffarnagar and four IEDs were recovered from them. All of these could be triggered through a remote control or timer. Those who built these bombs and have been arrested had built similar bombs and distributed them during the Muzaffarnagar riots. Both these accused are being questioned…”
#WATCH | ADG Law & Order, UP and UP STF chief Amitabh Yash says, "Two accused were arrested in Muzaffarnagar and four IEDs were recovered from them. All of these could be triggered through a remote control or timer. Those who built these bombs and have been arrested had built… pic.twitter.com/siJPeMVvfC
— ANI (@ANI) February 16, 2024
Javed who lives on Mimlana Road, Ramlila Tilla in the city’s police station neighbourhood repaired radios in the past. His grandfather used to make firecrackers. He reportedly learned how to make explosives from his granddad. Thereafter, he acquired knowledge in creating improvised explosive device bombs.
Brajesh Kumar Singh, the Additional Superintendent of STF revealed that the offender has a strong knowledge of machinery because of his work on radio repairs. During questioning, Javed admitted to creating time bombs earlier. The accused are at present being questioned by Anti-Terrorism Squad and Intelligence Bureau personnel.
