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Terror suspect arrested with hand grenades in Faridabad: Police
A Gujarat police official said their ATS received information on February 28 that a resident of Faizabad was in contact with a terrorist organisation and was allegedly plotting a major terrorist incident
Faridabad/Ahmedabad: A joint team of Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and the Haryana Special Task Force (STF) detained a 19-year-old man, Abdul Rahman, near Pali village on suspicion of terrorist activities. He was intercepted while walking along the road, and a search of his belongings led to the recovery of two live hand grenades.
“The Gujarat ATS received information on February 28 from its officers that Rehman, a resident of Faizabad, was in contact with a terrorist organisation and was allegedly plotting a major terrorist incident. The information suggested that he could be heading toward Faridabad to execute the plan. This information was shared with Haryana STF, and both agencies launched a coordinated search operation,” said a Gujarat police official.
Following this alert, Haryana Police’s STF launched efforts to track and apprehend Rehman. On March 2, Gujarat ATS confirmed his movement toward Faridabad and shared this intelligence with Haryana authorities. The joint operation led to a focused search in the area.
The Gujarat ATS tracked Rahman’s mobile location and coordinated with the STF headquarters in Gurugram. Since the location fell under Faridabad’s jurisdiction, the STF Palwal team was also directed to assist in the operation. Based on the mobile tracking, the joint team located the suspect walking suspiciously near the roadside in the Pali area. He was stopped and taken to a nearby vacant plot, where an initial interrogation was conducted.
The discovery of two live grenades was shocking for the STF personnel, prompting them to call in the bomb disposal squad. The suspect was later identified as Abdul Rahman, a resident of Milkipur in Faizabad, Uttar Pradesh, according to officials familiar with the matter in the Haryana police.
Upon receiving information about the incident, Faridabad police teams, including NIT Deputy Commissioner of Police Kuldeep Singh, also arrived at the scene. However, the STF team continued its interrogation independently before taking Rahman into custody.
“Upon questioning, his responses raised further suspicion, and he was taken into custody,” said an official. Given the gravity of the situation, the Haryana police’ bomb disposal squad was called in, and as a precautionary measure, his mobile phone—suspected to contain a bomb detonation button—was placed in an empty area before the grenades were safely defused, the official added.
The sudden deployment of multiple police vehicles in the area attracted a large crowd. To maintain order and prevent panic, officers were deployed approximately 100 metres away to keep onlookers at a distance.
According to STF officials familiar with the matter, Rahman had reportedly arrived in Faridabad on Sunday. However, his purpose for carrying live grenades and his intended plans remain unclear. Investigations are ongoing, and further details are expected to emerge following sustained interrogation.
A case was registered at the relevant police station, and Rehman was formally placed under arrest. A joint police team has been dispatched to Faizabad, Uttar Pradesh, to search his residence and gather further evidence.
Police commissioner Satendra Kumar Gupta said, “We have not received any formal communication from the STF regarding this matter, so we are unable to comment.”
