The Delhi Police Special Cell claims to have foiled terror strikes in the city during the festival season following the arrest of a Pakistani terrorist from east Delhi’s Laxmi Nagar on Monday.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Pramod Singh Kushwah said the accused has been identified as Mohammed Ashraf and was living in India as Ali Ahmed Noori, 40, for the past 15 years.
He is a resident of Punjab in Pakistan and was member of a sleeper cell, the police said.
An AK-47 rifle with two magazines, 60 sophisticated pistols with 50 rounds and a hand grenade have been recovered at his instance. The arms and ammunition were buried by the Yamuna river.
Kashmir terror strikes
The police said he was tasked by his Pakistani handler to orchestrate terror strikes during the festival season and the recovered arms and ammunition were arranged by the handler.
He is suspected to have been involved in the Jammu and Kashmir terror strikes. The police are trying to ascertain his involvement in terror activities in the last 15 years.
The police said that they received an input two months ago about an active sleeper cell headed by a Pakistani national.
Following this, sources were activated and the identity of the man was established.
“A tip-off was received that he had been directed to undertake terror attacks in India, and that he was in the advanced stage of procuring arms and explosives. Further, he had managed to obtain Indian identities and had been living in Delhi under the cover of a Peer Maulana,” Mr. Kushwah said.
Acting on a tip-off, Ashraf was arrested from Laxmi Nagar on Monday.
“He used to act as a Maulana who used to ‘cure’ people’s illnesses. He used to keep changing his lodging place,” the officer said.
ISI handler
According to the police, Ashraf received training from a Pakistan ISI handler in Sialkot in 2004. He entered India via the Siliguri border.
“He went to Ajmer and befriended a maulvi at a local masjid in 2006. He then accompanied the maulvi to Delhi. Here, in the Walled City, he started Tilawat [daily wages prayer job] at local factories,” Mr. Kushwah said.
His permanent address on the documents is of Bihar and current address is that of Delhi.
The police said that he has also travelled to Thailand and Saudi Arabia.
‘Will never give house on rent again’
As news of Mohammed Ashraf’s arrest broke on Tuesday, the family it impacted was that of Nadira in Geeta Colony’s Aram Park. The present address on Ashraf’s Indian ID was that of hers. She was worried if the arrest would impact her family.
“This man had come to us around 10-12 years ago and stayed on rent at our house for less than a year. He was alone and had come without any family members,” she said from behind an iron mesh in her house in a cramped lane in Aram Park.
He had told the family that his name was Ali and a few months later, he asked for help.
Their address on his ID
“He said he wanted to get his Aadhaar card made and needed documents of the house for address. My husband didn’t suspect anything,” she said. “We were only helping. How can one guess who the person might turn out to be?”
Ms. Nadira’s husband, who runs a tailoring shop on the ground floor of their triple-storey residence, shut shop on Tuesday because of the media frenzy. “I sent my son outside in the street to ensure people don’t think we have locked ourselves up or are at fault. It’s a small area and people judge. I hope our image is not ruined,” she said.
Ms. Nadira is so scared that she has decided to ask two of her tenants to leave their rooms. “I have started doubting everyone. We’ll ask these tenants to vacate as well. I’ll never give the house on rent again. We will never help anyone again,” she said.
