NIA’s Most Wanted Terrorist An Engineer, Planned Bombings Across India

According to the Delhi Police, suspected Islamic State (IS) terrorist Mohammad Shahnawaz alias Shafi Ujjama who was apprehended along with 2 others ran terror camps across the nation was an engineer by profession. On Monday morning in the nation’s capital, the Delhi Police Special Cell detained Shahnawaz, one of the NIA’s most wanted terrorists.

The other two terrorists detained have been identified as Rizwan and Arshad. Officials claim that Shahnawaz, who is suspected of having connections to an IS module, fled from the Pune Police’s custody and was later found living in Delhi.

Shahnawaz, a mining engineer by trade, was apprehended in a southeast Delhi neighbourhood, Delhi Police announced at a press conference. Arshad was detained at Muradabad, while Rizwan Ashraf was taken into custody in Lucknow.

“Special Cell for a long time has been keeping an eye on the Indian Mujahideen and IS kingpin. A lot of such modules have been busted,” Special Commissioner of Police Delhi, HGS Dhaliwal said.

“The main accused, Shahnawaz, was arrested with his two other partners this morning. Another accused, identified as Mohammad Rizwan, is absconding,” he said.

All the accused were presented before a special court and have been sent to police custody for seven days. “When their hideouts were raided, different equipment to make explosives were recovered. Pistols, cartridges and various literature to make bombs were also recovered,” Dhaliwal said.

“They (Mohammad Shahnawaz, Mohammad Rizwan Ashraf and Arshad Warsi) conducted a recce at various places in western and southern India. Right from procuring materials, containers and pipes for explosives were with them. They were supported and promoted by ISIS elements. They have a PAN India footprint,” Dhaliwal added.

Shahnavaz is a mining engineer and a native of Ahmedabad, Gujarat. It’s interesting to note that his wife, Basanti Patel, changed her religion to Islam and named hereself as Mariyam.

Rizwan Ashraf is a student at Jamia Millia Islamia and holds a B-Tech degree from Aligarh University. Arshad, meanwhile, is an Azamgarh native and a scholar of religion.

The accused intended to target VVIPs, according to the authorities. All three alleged terrorists have completed their educations and were preparing to carry out bombings around the nation.

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