Suspected Pakistani terrorist arrested in Delhi, terror attack bid foiled

A suspected Pakistani terrorist, who was staying in India illegally for a decade in disguise as a 'peer baba', was arrested in east Delhi ahead of the festival season with police on Tuesday claiming that they have averted a terror strike in the capital.

Mohd Ashraf, a resident of Punjab province in Pakistan, was apprehended from Ramesh Park in Laxmi Nagar on Monday. He was living in the guise of an Indian national Ali Ahmed Noori in Shastri Nagar area, police claimed.

He allegedly obtained Indian identity cards through forged documents. An AK-47 assault rifle, two magazines along with 60 rounds, one hand grenade, two sophisticated pistols with 50 rounds and an Indian passport obtained on forged documents were allegedly seized from him.

He has been charged under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Explosive Act, Arms Act and other provisions of the Indian Penal Code.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Pramod Kushwaha said he was part of a sleeper cell and involved in orchestrating subversive activities in several parts of the country. Kushwaha claimed that Ahsraf, who is ISI trained, revealed his involvement in several terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir and other parts of the country.

Ashraf allegedly got several fake identity cards made and one of them was under the name of Ahmed Noori. He also allegedly managed to acquire an Indian passport and travelled to Thailand and Saudi Arabia. He allegedly entered from Bangladesh through the border in Siliguri. His handler in Pakistan has been identified as one Naseer.

Ashraf, who married a woman in Ghaziabad's Vaishali and pretended to be a 'peer baba' (cleric), had been assigned to carry out terror strikes at the behest of ISI during festival season, Kushwaha claimed.

According to police, Ashraf got training from ISI in 2004 under one Nasir, who allegedly motivated him to work as a sleeper cell.

After entering India, Ashraf went to Ajmer and allegedly befriended a Maulvi at a local Masjid and in 2006, he accompanied the Maulvi to Delhi and visited a factory of the former's relative.

Ashraf started 'tilawat' (daily wages prayer job) at factories in Old Delhi and later met other relatives of the Maulvi. He managed to win over their trust and started allegedly receiving money from Nasir using IDs of Maulvi’s relatives, Kushwaha added.

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