RSS recce case: Cyber Forensic experts unable to retrieve data from JeM terrorist’s phone
   Date :14-Sep-2022

ats Jaish e Mohammed
 
 
Staff Reporter :
 
The Cyber Forensic Experts are unable to retrieve the data from the mobile phone of the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist from Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) who was arrested by Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) Nagpur for conducing recce of Dr Hedgewar Smriti Bhavan of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in Reshimbagh. Sources informed that the ATS had seized a mobile phone of Raees Ahmed Sheikh Asadulla Sheikh (26), a resident of Khati Mohalla, Chandara, Awantipora town of Pulwama district in J&K and sent the handset to Cyber Forensic Laboratory. Though data from the phone was deleted by Raees, the investigators were hoping that the experts would retrieve the deleted video of Smriti Bhavan which was sent to his Pakistan based handler.
 
However, the data was found permanently wiped out from the phone. Meanwhile, Raees was again transferred to Central Jail in Nagpur on September 8. He was handed-over back to J&K police in June this year by the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) Napgur after interrogating for more than two-weeks. The ATS have collected crucial leads from Raees during his consistent interrogation and also discovered nepharious design of JeM to create terror in the State by targeting sensitive or vital installations. Raees was a working as ‘Hybrid’ militant who pose as civilian to dissemble his violent activities. He was in initial stage of terror activities when the police arrested him last year, the official said, adding that Recce of Smriti Bhavan was his first out of home state operation.
 
A person named Omar, who is operational commander of JeM’s Nawabpur (Pakistan)-based terrorist launching pad, had tasked him to conduct the recce, the official stated. Raees came to Nagpur by a Delhi-Mumbai-Nagpur flight on July 13 and checked into a hotel in Sitabuldi area. The handler had assured Raees that a local man would contact and help him at Nagpur in the operation. However, Raees conducted the reconnaianse on its own as no person had contacted him at Nagpur, according to sources. The investigators are suspecting that local support was just a false assurance given by JeM to Raees to boost his confidence, claimed sources. On July 14, Raees took an auto-rickshaw and reached Reshimbagh with the help of Google Map. The location was sent by his handler. His target was to conduct recce of Smriti Bhavan. He alighted near the Reshimbagh ground in the afternoon. Raees then switched on his mobile phone camera and held it near his head to show as if he was speaking to someone over the phone.
 
He walked through the Reshimbagh ground while capturing its video. He shared the video with his handler on WhatsApp who got angry over the poor quality of video and instructed him to again shoot the video. However, Raees denied him fearing police and switched off the mobile phone, the investigation revealed. He then called the autorickshaw driver and asked him to take to a Masjid. The auto driver dropped him at a Masjid near Santra market gate where he stayed for a whole day and returned to the hotel in the evening.
 
On July 15, Raees returned to Srinagar by a Nagpur-Delhi-Srinagar flight, the official said. Raees, a poor person, was technically sound in electrical work. He got recruited in the JeM on the recommendation of a friend to manage his finances. The friend was killed by security forces in an encounter recently. A case under relevant sections of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act was registered against Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) at Kotwali Police Station. The probe was transferred to ATS on the instructions of the then DGP Sanjay Pandey in March this year.