An exclusive report by the Free Press Journal has exposed the common links that connect the ISIS modules across cities revealing a sinisted web of pan-India ISIS network.
The report reveals that Shahnawaz Alam, who was arrested in October in the Pune ISIS module case, is also linked to Maharashtra ISIS module mastermind Saquib Nachan.
Saquib was arrested by the NIA on 9th December. Meanwhile, Saquib’s son Shamil Nachan was also arrested in the Pune ISIS module case in August, months before Shahnawaz’s arrest.
Shahnawaz had managed to escape from the custody of the Pune Police back in July this year. Citing a confidential report by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), FPJ has revealed that the Pune Police, Maharashtra ATS and the NIA had dismantled the ISIS Maharashtra module in July arresting mastermind Imran Khan and others.
After escaping, Shahnawaz’s ISIS handler put him in touch with a person called ISI Akka (leader) and fugitive terrorist Ghori. Shahnawaz, along with ISIS terrorist Mohammad Rizwan Ashraf, reached New Delhi where a hideout was arranged for them by a local unidentified contact.
Notably, Shahnawaz was sheltered in Delhi by Mohammad Arshad Warsi, who was also part of the Pune ISIS module and whose name had featured in the Delhi anti-Hindu Riots chargesheets. Warsi was constantly in touch with Sharjeel Imam. It was based on information revealed by Warsi during his interrogation that the Delhi Police managed to locate and arrest Shahnawaz.
Mohammad Rizwan was conducting his terror activities in Uttar Pradesh’s Naini, Prayagraj and Lucknow before moving to Delhi. Shahnawaz, Rizwan and Arshad were all arrested by the Delhi Police in October.
Shahnawaz and Rizwan were tasked with a critical mission for a terror operation in Delhi/NCR. This Delhi-based contact arranged logistical support, procuring weapons, arms and ammunition and provided funds for the task.
Shahnawaz and Rizwan were arrested by the Delhi Police special cell before they could implement their terror operation in the national capital. However, the local contact in Delhi is on the run.
This contact person is suspected to be the same individual who traveled from Delhi to Padgha, near Thane, to meet Saquib Nachan on the instructions of the ISIS handler.
This meeting was to discuss plans for an ISIS terror operation that Saquib was reportedly planning to execute. Shahnawaz’s statement reportedly suggests that he was connected to other ISIS terror modules including one run by Nachan and their associates.
Moreover, the report also talks about a nexus between ISIS, Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and fugitive terrorist Farahtullah Ghori.
Shahnawaz and Rizwan reportedly worked on instructions from a foreign-based ISIS handler, conspiring with ISI and Ghori to conduct terror activities in the national capital region.
As per FPJ, probe agencies suspect that ISI and other terror organisations are currently orchestrating activities in India. It reveals that the foreign-based handlers may potentially be Pakistan-based ISI agents or terrorists.
Ghori is a key member of Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorist groups. He also leads the terrorist organisation Hizb-Ut-Tahrir (HUT). Ghori has been evading authorities by operating through a chat group on the dark web.
Ghori had resurfaced in 2022 with a series of audio-visual messages and on social media platforms including X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, Facebook and Telegram alarming the Indian security agencies.
