Delhi Police special cell likely to file chargesheet in terror case this week

In addition to the alleged roles of the arrested terror suspects, the chargesheet is expected to contain details on how the RDX, allegedly recovered from them, was smuggled into the country from Pakistan through the Punjab border

The Delhi Police’s special cell, which is investigating the role of seven men arrested from Delhi, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh in September last year for allegedly plotting terror attacks across North India, has already prepared a chargesheet in the case and is likely to submit it before city court this week, officials aware of the development said.

This was the first case in Delhi, in recent years, when police allegedly seized RDX and other explosives from terror suspects. (Picture for representation only)

In addition to the alleged roles of the arrested terror suspects, the chargesheet is expected to contain details on how the RDX, allegedly recovered from them, was smuggled into the country from Pakistan through the Punjab border.

The chargesheet is important because this was the first case in Delhi, in recent years, when police allegedly seized RDX and other explosives from terror suspects.

The statements of the arrested persons in the case will also include how the members of the Mumbai underworld, settled in Dubai and Pakistan, had allegedly trained at least two suspects to plot the terror strikes in North India.

“Dawood Ibrahim’s brother Anees Ibrahim had used one of his close associates named Sameer to ensure the delivery of RDX, explosives and grenades to the suspects. This will be mentioned in the charge sheet. They were helped by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in training these men and taking them to Pakistan. The suspects were to conduct recce of different locations in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh for placing the improvised explosive devices (IEDs),” said a police officer, who asked not to be named.

On September 14 last year, Delhi Police said they averted terror attacks in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh after the arrest of six suspects --- Jaan Mohammad Shaikh (47), Osama alias Sami (22), Moolchand alias Saaju (47), Zeeshan Qamar (28), Mohamed Abu Bakr (23), and Mohammed Amir Javed (31). The following day, Osama’s uncle, Humaidur Rehman(47), was also arrested. The seven were arrested in separate but coordinated operations by police teams of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra. Jan Mohammed Sheikh was arrested in Kota,Rajasthan; Osama in Okhla, Delhi; Mohd Abu Bakar in Sarai Kale Khan, Delhi; Zeeshan in Prayagraj; Javed in Lucknow, and Moolchand in Rae Bareilly. Rehman surrendered in Prayagraj.

“Osama and Zeeshan have confessed how they were trained in Pakistan at a remote area near the city of Thatta. The two confessed they had flown to Muscat in April 2021 from where they, along with 20-30 others, were taken to Pakistan by sea. They changed boat several times and after days, reached a farm house in Thatta. People wearing military uniform had trained them there. All this will be mentioned in the chargesheet,” said an officer asked not to be named.

To be sure, the confession of the two men made before the police is not admissible as ​evidence in court unless there is supplementary evidence to prove the claims.

The families of the arrested men have already denied the involvement of their kin in terror activities.

A second police officer, who wished not to be named, said that the RDX was smuggled by cross-border smugglers involved in the heroin trade through the India-Pakistan border in Punjab.

The details of how the RDX was brought to India and reached Zeeshan are important in the backdrop of Delhi Police and Punjab Police recovering different consignments of RDXs in the last six months. RDX is a military grade explosive, which is not sold in the open market.

On January 14, 2022, a bag containing an IED made using three kilos of explosives -- RDX and ammonium nitrate -- was found outside the gate of the Ghazipur fruit market. The IED was defused at a parking space inside the market by a team of the National Security Guards (NSG) through a controlled explosion. Police are yet to trace or identify the person or the group involved in this case.

A day before the IED was destroyed in Ghazipur, the Punjab Police also recovered three kilos of RDX from Gurdaspur. Another two kilos of RDX was again recovered in Gurdaspur on January 21.