The Delhi Police averted a major terror strike by arresting an ISI-backed terrorist on Monday. Interestingly, the terrorist was arrested by the special cell sleuths of the Delhi Police from Laxmi Nagar, a crowded locality in East Delhi.
The terrorist was living in India for quite some time and the incident raises a big question- do we know whom we are renting our home to? Also, it serves as warning to those renting their properties without prior police verification.
Weapons and ammunition seized from the terrorist
The Pakistani national identified as Mohammad Ashraf alias Ali was impersonating as an Indian citizen by the name of Ali Ahmed Noori. Firearms and ammunition were recovered from Ali, including an AK-47 rifle, 60 rifle rounds, two pistols, 50 rounds and a hand grenade.
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Delhi Police tweeted, “A terrorist, Pak national, caught by Delhi Police SpecialCell from Laxmi Nagar area of Delhi, staying on fake identity on forged documents, as we beefed up anti-terror alert and action across city in current festive season. Major terror plan foiled. Further probe on.”
A terrorist, Pak national, caught by #DelhiPolice #SpecialCell @CellDelhi from Laxmi Nagar area of Delhi, staying on fake identity on forged documents, as we beefed up anti-terror alert and action across city in current festive season. Major terror plan foiled. Further probe on.
— Delhi Police (@DelhiPolice) October 12, 2021
Ali has been booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Explosives Act, and Arms Act. He has been sent to 14-days police custody after arrest.
How Mohammad Ashraf faked his identity
The Pakistani terrorist had reportedly taken cover as a peer baba. Delhi Police Special Cell DCP Pramod Kushwaha said, “From the weapons recovered, we feel he was going to carry out an operation during the festive season. Mohammad Ashraf made a fake ID in Bihar and also got married to a woman in Vaishali, Ghaziabad.” Kushwaha also said that Ashraf had most probably entered India via Bangladesh touching the Siliguri Corridor.
As per India Today TV, sources said that during investigation the police discovered that Ashraf had gone to Ajmer after entering India. Ashraf befriended a maulvi at a local mosque in the city. Thereafter, he accompanied the said maulvi to Delhi and started working at a factory of one of the maulvi’s relatives.
Also read: Ali Babar, a terrorist explained how the Pakistani army brainwashes young men for Jihad
Ashraf involved in several terror attacks
As per India Today, sources said that Ashraf remained in regular touch with Pakistan, using his Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) handler Nasir, through different secure communication channels. He is even said to have got money from Nasir by Western Union money transfer through the IDs of his maulvi friend’s relative.
DCP Kushwaha said, “He revealed his involvement in several terrorist activities in J&K, the rest of India… Lately, he was tasked to carry out terror activities, the place was not mentioned. He has been trained by Pakistan ISI…We are trying to identify his other associates.”
The Delhi Police official also said, “From the weapons recovered, we feel he was going to carry out an operation during the festive season. Mohammad Ashraf made a fake ID in Bihar and also got married to a woman in Vaishali, Ghaziabad.” So, it is quite clear that a major terror plot has been foiled with Ashraf’s arrest.
Lesson for property owners
The entire incident however serves as a lesson for property owners – even if your prospective tenant is showing his identity documents, you shouldn’t trust that person blindly. There is no real substitute for a police verification. And if you want to know who you are renting your house to, you must run background checks on that person.
Only recently, Dehradun witnessed a double murder case in which a former house help killed a house servant and his master out of sheer vengeance. Especially in cases where you are giving your house on rent to an unknown person or to a new person in the city, you ought to be careful in getting prior verification done. This is the only way you can ensure safety of your own person as well as that of your locality.