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UP terror probe widens: ATS uncovers Pak sabotage plot behind 26 ‘accidental’ vehicle fires
A senior officer said the probe was revived after the accused allegedly confessed during interrogation that they had been carrying out “trial” arson attacks at the behest of handlers across the border, filming the incidents and sending the videos as proof in exchange for money transferred through QR code-based digital payments.
The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) has reopened investigations into at least 26 vehicle fires and small-scale arson reported across the state over six months after fresh disclosures by four recently arrested suspects pointed to a possible sabotage network allegedly linked to Pakistan-based handlers, senior police officers said.
The incidents, reported from districts including Aligarh, Ghaziabad, Bulandshahr, Kanpur, Bareilly, Prayagraj, and Bijnor, had earlier been treated as accidental fires, with several cases closed at the local police level.
A senior officer said the probe was revived after the accused allegedly confessed during interrogation that they had been carrying out “trial” arson attacks at the behest of handlers across the border, filming the incidents and sending the videos as proof in exchange for money transferred through QR code-based digital payments.
The disclosures emerged during the questioning of four men arrested by the ATS in Lucknow on April 3: Saqib alias Devil, alleged to be the module’s kingpin, along with Vikas Gehlawat alias Raunak, Lokesh alias Papla Pandit, and Arbaaz.
According to investigators, the suspects allegedly targeted vehicles and small installations to create panic, test local response systems, and potentially inflame communal tensions, while simultaneously showcasing operational capability to their handler, identified as Abu Bakar, who is suspected to be operating from Pakistan. Officials said the videos were allegedly used as execution proof before payments were released.
Amitabh Yash, additional director general (law and order), said routine fire incidents are often treated as accidental, which may have enabled the accused to exploit a blind spot in everyday policing. “Vehicle fires are generally treated as mishaps, often inviting no deeper scrutiny. But after the emergence of the money trail and digital evidence, these incidents are now being examined afresh,” a senior officer said.
One incident now under renewed scrutiny is the March 4 pickup vehicle fire in Kiratpur area of Bijnor. Investigators said one of the videos recovered from seven mobile phones seized from the accused is suspected to be linked to that case.
Officials said forensic teams are now analysing multiple video clips recovered from the devices to establish the location, date and sequence of the suspected attacks.
ATS sources said suspicious phone numbers linked to other states, including Maharashtra, have surfaced during the investigation, with details already shared with central agencies.
Investigators are matching dates of suspicious banking transactions in the accused persons’ accounts with dates of reported fire incidents to establish whether funds were transferred after specific acts of sabotage.
Officials admitted the exercise could be challenging as many incidents are several months old, making retrieval of CCTV footage plus forensic traces difficult. In such cases, statements from local residents, vehicle owners, and eyewitnesses are expected to play a crucial role.
The ATS is mapping what officials described as a wider digital, transnational network, with look-out circulars already issued against suspects believed to be operating from South Africa, Dubai and Saudi Arabia.
