In a major multi-state operation, the Delhi Police Special Cell has dismantled a Pakistan-linked terror module, arresting five individuals suspected of plotting to establish training facilities and wage a war for an Islamic “caliphate” in India. The six-state raids turned up a stash of explosives, guns, and chemicals, exposing a scheme that progressed from radicalization on the internet to actual, risky action.
Who All Are Arrested and Where?
Tuesday and Wednesday saw simultaneous raids throughout the nation as the synchronized operation came to a close. The arrests include:
Aaftab Nasir Qureshi (25) and Sufiyan Abubakar Khan (20): Arrested near Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station in Delhi with two semi-automatic pistols and 15 live cartridges.
Ashhar Danish (23): The alleged ringleader, arrested from a lodge in Ranchi’s Islamnagar. An English Honours graduate from Bokaro with a lawyer father.
Mohammed Huzaif Yaman (20): A Nizamabad, Telangana, pharmacy student was detained for his involvement in the production of munitions.
Kamran Qureshi (26): A lab assistant and typist for advocates from Rajgarh, Madhya Pradesh.
What Was the Group’s Alleged Goal?
According to police officials, the module was operating under the banner of a so-called “Gazwa-e-Hind”—a concept often used by extremist groups to denote a mythical battle for the establishment of Islamic rule in the Indian subcontinent. Their ultimate aim was to establish a “caliphate.” Investigators stated the men were in the advanced stages of planning to set up secret training facilities near Delhi to further this objective.
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How Was the Module Uncovered?
The breakthrough came from intelligence about a man attempting to procure weapons and chemicals in the Delhi-NCR region. “We had inputs that one of the key figures of the module… was attempting to buy weapons and chemicals from agro-chemical shops and online,” said Pramod Singh Kushwah, Additional CP of the Special Cell. Intensive surveillance was mounted, leading to teams being deployed in Ranchi, Thane, Bengaluru, Nizamabad, and Rajgarh to track the suspects.
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What Was Recovered from the Raids?
The seizures paint a picture of a group moving beyond rhetoric to action. Recovered items include:
- Weapons: Four pistols and live cartridges.
- Chemicals: Sulphuric acid, nitric acid, sodium bicarbonate, and sulphur powder—common ingredients for fabricating explosives.
- IED Materials: Copper plates, wires, diodes, circuit boards, beakers, gloves, and masks.
- Evidence: Danish allegedly used copper plates to manufacture cartridges and had procured a country-made pistol as a prototype for arms manufacturing.
The case highlights the modern, digital path to radicalization. The alleged mastermind, Ashhar Danish, reportedly created multiple social media groups, posing online as a professor, NGO operator, or company executive to attract and recruit members.
DCP Amit Kaushik detailed that Danish “admitted that he was receiving instructions from a Pakistan-based handler.” Other members were recruited through platforms like WhatsApp and Omegle. Kamran Qureshi was radicalized after joining a WhatsApp group run by Danish, while Aaftab Qureshi was influenced by videos of radical speeches shared in similar groups. The pharmacy student, Yaman, met Danish on Omegle three years ago.
