Fake Aadhaar, foreign handlers: Terror plot busted, 8 arrested in Bengal, Tamil Nadu

The Delhi Police has uncovered a major terror module allegedly linked to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and extremist groups based in Bangladesh, as per reported by ANI.

 Eight suspects were arrested in a coordinated operation across Tamil Nadu and West Bengal on Sunday. Officials believe the group was planning a large-scale terror attack in India under instructions from foreign handlers.

Six of the accused — Mizanur Rahman, Mohammad Shabat, Umar, Mohammad Litan, Mohammad Shahid and Mohammed Ujjal — were picked up from garment factories in Tiruppur district of Tamil Nadu. Two others were arrested from West Bengal.

Police sources said some of those arrested are Bangladeshi nationals who were allegedly using fake Aadhaar cards to hide their identities.

The crackdown comes a day after security agencies issued a high alert in Delhi over intelligence inputs about a possible terror plot by Pakistan-based outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

The inputs suggested that crowded religious and heritage sites could be targeted. Sources said a temple in the Chandni Chowk area was among the suspected targets, and that terrorists were planning an IED attack near sensitive locations, including the Red Fort.

Investigators said the arrested men were allegedly acting on the directions of handlers based outside India. Preliminary findings indicate that the handler is a Kashmir native currently operating from Bangladesh.

Explaining the Tamil Nadu operation, the Delhi Police Special Cell said, “The operation followed an investigation into online posts supporting terror activities, which led the team to Tiruppur with the assistance of the local police. Investigators found that the six individuals were working in garment factories in the region and were carrying fake Aadhaar cards.”

During the raids, police seized eight mobile phones and 16 SIM cards.

These devices are being examined for digital evidence and to trace possible links with other operatives.

The case first came to light after provocative posters appeared at more than 10 places in Delhi, including inside the Delhi Metro network. The posters reportedly carried inflammatory messages and “Free Kashmir” slogans.

A probe by the Special Cell into the source of the posters led investigators to a network based in Tamil Nadu, resulting in the arrests.

The development is similar to a recent suspected doctors’ module case, where posters that surfaced in Jammu and Kashmir led investigators to Al-Falah University in Faridabad. Some individuals working as doctors there were involved in the Red Fort blast.

Officials have called Sunday’s action a major breakthrough in preventing a possible terror attack. Further investigation is underway to track funding sources, additional suspects and cross-border connections.

(With inputs from Arvind Ojha and Pramod Madhav)