AHEMEDABAD: The Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has intensified its crackdown on an alleged Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror module, arresting five more accused from Gujarat’s Patan district. The latest arrests have taken the total number of accused held in the case to 13, as investigators probe an alleged conspiracy involving bomb-making, radical literature and the expansion of a terror network linked to the banned outfit.
The five accused Bilal Abidbhai Shera, Mohammad Ayub Kadiwala alias Mohammed Khadiyasan, Mohammad Palanpuri alias Khali Ayub Sunsara, Shafia Rais Mukhti alias Shafi Chapi and Mohammad Hasan Kardia alias Hasan Haidarpuri were arrested from Khadiyal village in Siddhpur taluka.
All five were produced before Judicial Magistrate R. M. Bhatia at Kadi in Mehsana district, who remanded them to ATS custody until July 24 to facilitate further investigation.
Gujarat: The Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has arrested five more accused from various districts of the state, intensifying its crackdown on a Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror module pic.twitter.com/FKBYqUDeMz
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According to the Gujarat ATS, the latest arrests emerged during the investigation of eight alleged JeM operatives who were arrested earlier this month.
Public Prosecutor P R Dantani informed the court that one of the newly arrested accused had allegedly attempted to manufacture a time bomb. The ATS told the court that crucial evidence, including bomb-making materials and Jaish-e-Mohammed literature written in Urdu, is yet to be recovered.
The prosecution argued that custodial interrogation was essential to trace the source of the explosive materials, identify where they had been concealed, and determine how the accused procured radical jihadi literature allegedly linked to the Pakistan-based terror organisation.
Investigators have also alleged that one of the accused attempted to test a crude time bomb, although the experiment reportedly failed.
The ATS is now examining where the explosive materials were obtained, whether additional explosive components remain hidden, and if other individuals were involved in the procurement and storage of the materials.
Officials are also investigating the extent of technical knowledge acquired by the accused regarding bomb-making and whether they had received external guidance or training.
According to investigators, the accused allegedly possessed and circulated Jaish-e-Mohammed propaganda and jihadi literature in Urdu. The ATS suspects that these materials may have been used to radicalise recruits and expand the alleged terror network operating within Gujarat.
Investigators are working to recover the missing literature and establish whether additional individuals had access to the documents.
The latest arrests are linked to the Gujarat ATS operation conducted on July 3, when eight alleged JeM operatives were arrested from different parts of Gujarat and neighbouring Madhya Pradesh.
The earlier accused were identified as:
- Ahmed
- Ibrahim
- Mudassir
- Zakaria Durani
- Mufti Faujaan
- Mohammad Amin Shera
- Mohammad Abdul
- Bilal Mohammad
According to investigators, one of the previously arrested accused, Mohammad Amin Shera, allegedly supplied JeM-related material to the five newly arrested individuals.
The ATS further alleged that another accused possessed knowledge of bomb-making techniques and had shared that expertise within the alleged network.
According to the Gujarat ATS, the accused were allegedly working on behalf of the banned Pakistan-based terror organisation Jaish-e-Mohammed to establish an active operational network inside Gujarat.
Investigators believe the alleged module was attempting to recruit members, circulate extremist material and prepare logistical support for activities linked to the terror outfit. The agency is continuing to investigate possible links with other operatives, funding channels and communication networks that may have supported the alleged module.
The accused have been booked under multiple provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), including Sections 13, 17, 18, 38 and 39, relating to unlawful activities, raising funds for terrorism, conspiracy, and membership or support to a banned terrorist organisation.
They have also been charged under Sections 148 and 61 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
