The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) revealed on Wednesday, March 13, that three individuals previously arrested in connection with an ISIS Pune module case last year were involved in a robbery targeting a saree store owner in Satara. The proceeds from this robbery were allegedly utilised to procure materials for making bombs. The accused, Mohammad Shahnawaz Alam Shafiujma Khan, Mohammad Yunus Mohammad Yakub Saki, and Zulfikar Ali Barodawala, had been apprehended by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) earlier in connection with suspected ISIS modules across the nation.
The Maharashtra ATS took custody of the three individuals from the NIA and presented them before a special ATS court on March 13th. The court subsequently remanded them into ATS custody until March 21st. Notably, Yunus and his associate Mohammad Imran Mohammad Yunus Khan were previously arrested in July 2023 while attempting to steal a vehicle in Pune’s Kothrud area. Shahnawaz Alam managed to evade arrest initially but was later apprehended by the Delhi Police.
Barodawala, another suspect, was arrested by the NIA during the course of their investigation. According to sources within the ATS, Yunus and Shahnawaz Alam allegedly committed an armed robbery at a saree store in Satara on April 8, 2023, where they reportedly stole Rs 1 lakh. The funds acquired from this robbery were purportedly used to procure materials for constructing explosives. The ATS has charged them with terrorism-related offenses under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), with ongoing investigations into the matter.
During the court proceedings, prosecution counsel Vijay Fargade stated, “Probe has revealed that a part of the proceeds from the armed robbery in Satara were used to purchase components to assemble a bomb. Probe has also revealed these members used the proceeds of the crime for terror funding.”
The investigation into the Pune ISIS Module case began in July 2023 with the arrest of Shahnawaz and two others from Madhya Pradesh in connection with a theft incident in Pune. Subsequent inquiries uncovered a larger terror network involving individuals from Pune and Delhi. Shahnawaz’s wife, who converted to Islam, remains sought after by authorities.
Shahnawaz, a graduate from Nagpur’s NIT with a degree in mining, allegedly has connections with Barodawala, believed to be the mastermind and financier of the Pune ISIS terror module. Barodawala purportedly provided training and financial support to Shahnawaz and his associates. Additionally, Akif Atiq Nachan, an IED expert, allegedly aided Imran and Yunus by providing them shelter and bomb-making training.
A reward of Rs 5 lakh was announced for Imran’s capture by the NIA, with cases filed against him and his associates under UAPA. The comprehensive charge sheet highlights ISIS’s concerted efforts to establish operations in India and the emergence of self-radicalised individuals contributing to the organisation’s activities.
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