3 Jaish men chargesheeted for plotting serial strikes

NEW DELHI: Almost six months after the Special Cell of Delhi Police busted a Jaish-e-Muhammed module in northeast Delhi's Chand Bagh locality , it has chargesheeted the three accused arrested in this connection.Cops said the trio was planning to carry out serial attacks in Delhi and the rest of NCR.

The chargesheet, which was filed in the court of additional sessions judge Reetesh Singh on Thursday , has named Jaish chief Maulana Masood Azhar and his core-group members--Talha, Owais, Ilyas Qasmi, Shafiq and others-as "wanted accused".

The police report says that the the operatives--Sajid, Shakir Ansari and Samir Ahmad--were in touch with Rashid Amaan, a Pakistan-based JeM commander, who is also the man Friday of Kashif Jaan. Jaan, a close confidante of the JeM chief, had given instructions to the Pathankot airbase attackers.

It also contains details about a WhatsApp group, "Sada-eMujahid", through which the Delhi module was taking instructions. The trio was in touch with another Jaish member, Sajjad Gori. This validates the confessions made by the three operatives that they were in touch with top Jaish functionaries to execute a Pathankot-like strike in NCR.

The chargesheet, accessed by TOI, contains the statements of the eight youths, who were detained and released after being de-radicalised.

The eight youths deposed in court and corroborated the probe findings. In their statements recorded under Section 164 of CrPC, the youths narrated how they were being made to subscribe to the jihadi ideology and being convinced to take part in terrorist activities.These statements are admissible as evidence in court.

Now, the Special Cell is looking forward to having a watertight case against the three accused. The chargesheet is backed by forensic reports on their mobile phone records, social media posts and WhatsApp conversations.

The Delhi module, according to the chargesheet, was taking forward Masood Azhar's plan to indoctrinate Indian youths and prepare them for terror attacks in the country. Known as "Project Karachi", this plan was originally conceptualised by Pakistani intelligence agency ISI.

The handlers of this module were based in Madrassa Usman-o-Ali in Pakistan's Punjab province, says the chargesheet.

According to the police report, Sajid and Shakir sent text messages to Rashid requesting him to arrange visas for them and expressed their wish to undergo arms training in Pakistan. While Sajid was asked to get a passport made, Shakir's request was approved after he produced a copy of his passport. Sajid made his online profile two years ago and kept on posting jihadi contents. He established contacts with Rashid, Talha and others through social media, the chargesheet reveals.

It gives a detailed account of how the operatives studied jihadi literature and books like 'Mujahid ki Lalkar', 'Tareek-e-Hind' and 'Aap ka Mustakbil'.

The report shows how the whole operation--from surveillance to capture of the accused--was carried out by the police.