THE Pakistan-based handlers of the recently arrested Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist in Jammu & Kashmir were preparing him to carry out ‘fidayeen’ attack at headquarters of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in Mahal. Before getting the final assignment, the youth was sent to Nagpur to conduct reconnaissance of RSS headquarters and Dr Hedgewar Smriti Bhavan in Reshimbagh to get familiar with it and areas around, a police official privy to the investigation told ‘The Hitavada’. According to information gathered by cops from the arrested terrorist, a person named Omar, who is operational commander of JeM’s Nawabpur (Pakistan)-based terrorist launching pad, was the handler of Raees Ahmed Sheikh Asadulla Sheikh. Sources told this newspaper that Raees came to Nagpur by a Delhi-Mumbai-Nagpur flight on July 13 and checked into a hotel in Sitabuldi area. On July 14, Raees took an auto-rickshaw and reached Badkas Chowk with the help of Google Map.

 

His target was to conduct recce of six lanes connecting the RSS headquarters. However, after observing police patrolling and a huge number of cops deployed for security, he did not dare to enter the lanes. Later, Raees went near Smruti Mandir where he shot a video of CRPF camp and policemen deployed at the gate. He shared the video to Omar on WhatsApp. The video was not clear as it was taken from a long distance. Omar, in the WhatsApp chat, pressured Raees to take more videos. However, Raees panicked and told Omar that his data balance was over and switched off the phone. Soon after, he returned to the hotel and visited a Masjid where a Maulana gave him a ‘Tabij’. On July 15, Raees returned to Srinagar by a Nagpur-Delhi-Srinagar flight, the official said. The official further said that Raees (26), a resident of Khati Mohalla, Chandara, Awantipora town of Pulwama district in J&K, was technically sound in electrical work. After getting him recruited in Jaish-e-Mohammad, Omar was sure to engage him in ‘fidayeen’ attack. Commissioner of Police (CP) Amitesh Kumar said that Raees was interrogated by the team of Crime Branch led by DCP (Detection) Chinmay Pandit in Kashmir and the video was also recovered from his mobile phone. After getting concrete evidence from J&K Police and Intelligence agencies in this regard, a case under relevant sections of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act has been registered against Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) at Kotwali Police Station. City police have also tightened security in and around the RSS headquarters and Smriti Mandir. Alert has been sounded in the department to dig out more information about movement of the terrorist during his stay in Nagpur. 

 

 

Devendra Fadnavis, former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, said that the recce of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) headquarters in Nagpur by Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist was ‘a serious issue’. “I am sure that Maharashtra Police and Central agencies will definitely take care of this and take necessary steps to thwart any untoward incident,” Fadnavis told mediapersons at Nagpur airport on Saturday. Responding to a question regarding Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Adv Ashish Shelar receiving threat, Fadnavis said that Shelar had always been speaking against corruption and hence some elements might have been disturbed over this. Police must take this matter seriously, said the former Home Minister. Asked about his wife Amruta Fadnavis issuing defamation notice against Nationalist Congress leader Vidya Chavan over the latter’s remarks, Fadnavis said that not only political parties and leaders but everyone else needed to take care before speaking about women.