RSS Hq recce case: State ATS to conduct further investigation

Staff Reporter

Director General of Police (DGP) Sanjay Pandey has transferred the case of recce of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Headquarters by Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist to the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), Maharashtra for further investigation. The orders were issued last week. However, the ATS officials have not yet taken the documents from Nagpur Police for investigation, a top police official of Nagpur Police said.

It may be mentioned here that the JeM terrorism from Jammu and Kashmir had attempted to conduct recce of headquarters of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in July last year. He did partial recce of Dr Hedgewar Smriti Bhavan in Reshimbagh and managed to send a video footage of the Bhavan to his handler in Pakistan.

The accused terrorist Raees Ahmed Sheikh Asadulla Sheikh was arrested by Jammu and Kashmir police after recovery of grenade from his possession in December last year. During investigation, Sheikh revealed that he conducted a mission of conducting recce of Sangh building and Smriti Mandir.

Acting on the information, the team of Crime Branch of Nagpur police went to Kashmir and interrogated Sheikh. The police received important information from Sheikh after which the security at the vital installations was beefed up by Nagpur police.

Raees had come 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 autorickshaw and reached Badkas Chowk with the help of Google Map.

is 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.

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 JeM, Omar was sure to engage him in ‘fidayeen’ attack. After getting concrete evidence from J&K Police and Intelligence agencies in this regard, a case under relevant sections of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act was registered against the JeM terrorist at Kotwali Police Station last month.