Pakistan-backed ISI underworld group planned attacks to avenge mosque razing in Mumbai: Report

Investigation has revealed that the members of Pakistan-backed ISI-underworld terror module, which was caught by Delhi Police, had planned to attack policemen and security forces in Mumbai to "avenge" the demolition of an illegal mosque in Garib Nagar area of Bandra, officials said.

On Saturday, Delhi Police had said that they arrested eight suspected operatives, including a Nepali national, allegedly planning attacks on key infrastructure and police personnel in Delhi and other cities.

The demolition drive was conducted from May 19 and May 23 to raze unauthorised structures at Garib Nagar near Bandra station. It saw incidents of stone-pelting, leaving 10 persons, including policemen, injured.

The arrested suspects had allegedly conducted a recce of the Garib Nagar demolition drive and sent videos and photographs of police deployment to their handlers in Pakistan, a senior Mumbai Police official told PTI on Sunday.

According to the PTI report, police personnel deployed during the demolition drive in Garib Nagar and members of the Hindu community were among the intended targets.

The conspiracy was allegedly planned by operators in Pakistan's ISI, gangster Shahzad Bhatti, Yawar Khan, and underworld operative Munna Jhingada, a close aide of Chhota Shakeel, the official said.

On May 27, Delhi Special Cell arrested Sajid Mehboob Shaikh alias Arbaaz Khan from Kurla in Mumbai and Tauqeer Rizwan Shaikh from Mumbra in Thane district based on specific intelligence.

The investigation showed that the duo had surveyed a crowded bridge outside Dadar railway station as a potential target, the officer said.

The mobile phones, that were seized from the accused, contain several videos of multiple locations in Mumabi, along with chats and voice notes exchanged with their handlers in Pakistan and Dubai, he said.

A Mumbai-based suspect, identified as Huzaifa, allegedly recruited local operatives into the module and is currently absconding and search to trace him is underway.

Citing preliminary findings, the officer said the module was tasked with carrying out grenade attacks and opening indiscriminate firing on police personnel, security forces, and key installations in Mumbai.

Mumbai Police and Maharashtra ATS are on high alert and are investigating local links connected to the network, the officer said.

A person named Jhingada is a key suspect, who was allegedly operating from Karachi and was tasked to handle and coordinate the attacks.

According to police, Jhingada had allegedly carried out an attack on gangster Chhota Rajan in Bangkok in 2000 at Dawood Ibrahim's behest and later spent 17 years in a Thai prison.

(With PTI inputs)