Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: In a significant breakthrough just days before Independence Day, the Special Cell of Delhi Police has arrested Rizwan Abdul Haji Ali, a resident of Daryaganj, for his alleged involvement with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) Pune module. Rizwan Ali, an alleged operative of the ISIS module, was apprehended on Thursday, with a Rs 3 lakh bounty on his head, placed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
This arrest is part of an ongoing investigation into the ISIS Pune module, which has been linked to various terrorist activities, including the fabrication of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and planning attacks across India. In March, the NIA attached four properties in Pune’s Kondhwa area, identifying them as “proceeds of terrorism.” These properties were connected to 11 accused individuals, including Rizwan Ali, three of whom were on the run.
The attached properties, which include residential houses and flats, were reportedly used for training, IED fabrication, and plotting terrorist activities. The NIA has linked these properties to Mohammed Imran Khan, Mohammed Yunus Saki, Mohammed Shahnawaz Alam, and others who were allegedly involved in an ISIS conspiracy targeting Maharashtra, Gujarat, and other regions in India.
In December 2023, the NIA filed a charge sheet against six accused in the Maharashtra ISIS terror module case, exposing a broader conspiracy with international connections. The charge sheet, presented to the NIA Special Court in Mumbai, included names like Tabish Nasser Siddiqui from Mumbai and others who were spreading ISIS ideology across India.
The NIA spokesperson stated, “They are all members of the proscribed ISIS outfit and had hatched a conspiracy to further the terrorist activities of the organization, with the intention to strike fear and terror among people and threaten the security of India.”
This latest arrest by Delhi Police follows the October capture of three other ISIS terrorists, including Mohammad Shahnawaz, who was also on the NIA’s most wanted list. These individuals were identified as part of an ISIS sleeper cell operating out of Pune.
Rizwan Abdul Ali’s arrest marks another critical step in the crackdown on ISIS-linked operatives in India, as authorities continue their efforts to dismantle terror networks ahead of the country’s Independence Day celebrations.
