Delhi court sends terror module suspect to 5-day police custody

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Monday sent 22-year-old Ashif, one of the three accused in the alleged Pakistan-controlled terror module backed by gangster-turned-terrorist Shahzad Bhatti, to five-day police custody.

The three accused were allegedly involved in the November 25 grenade attack outside the City police station in Punjab's Gurdaspur.

Ashif was produced before Chief Judicial Magistrate Shriya Agarwal, who granted five days of police custody after the Special Cell of Delhi Police sought seven days, stating that investigators needed time to examine his devices and trace links to Pakistan-based handler Shehzad Bhatti.

The investigating officer claimed that Ashif and Bhatti communicated through a virtual number, and that a police team must travel to Pune to verify leads connected to the module's operations and recruitment network.

The Eastern Range of the Special Cell had arrested two other youths along with Ashif – 19-year-olds Hargunpreet Singh and Vikas Prajapati – as part of the same module.

Singh was allegedly tasked with the attack on the Gurdaspur police station, which he purportedly executed on November 25 by lobbing a grenade outside the premises, police claimed.

Police had earlier said in a press release that Ashif came into contact with Bhatti about two-and-a-half months ago through Instagram, and was instructed to carry out a grenade attack in Punjab.

Bhatti allegedly provided him with photographs and a map of the location. He connected with Prajapati through Bhatti and told him to await further instructions, police said.

Prajapati, wanted in an arms smuggling case, was allegedly in frequent touch with Bhatti through multiple social media platforms. He was traced to Gurdaspur before his arrest in Madhya Pradesh.

In the press release dated November 30, the Special Cell of Delhi Police said, "Pakistani handlers Shahzad Bhatti and his associates targeted young Indians through social media. They lured them with money and selected recruits by scanning their social media profiles."

“They remotely controlled the entire operation – reconnaissance, cash payments, logistics, and target selection. Interrogation revealed that this was a structured foreign-controlled terror module using lure for money, remote instructions and disposable foot soldiers to carry out grenade attacks on public places in India.”

A semi-automatic pistol, 10 live cartridges and incriminating digital material were recovered during the investigation, police said.