Arrest of Shahnawaz: In a significant development in the fight against terrorism, the Delhi Police conducted a massive operation on Monday, leading to the arrest of a suspected ISIS terrorist named Shahnawaz. Shahnawaz, who was wanted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) with a reward of Rs 3 lakh on his head, was apprehended by the Delhi Police Special Cell. This operation also resulted in the arrest of two more individuals with alleged links to ISIS.
Delhi Police Special Cell arrests NIA's most wanted terrorist Shahnawaz alias Shafi Uzzama. NIA had placed a reward of Rs 3 lakhs on the arrested terrorist Shahnawaz, he was wanted in the Pune ISIS case. Shahnawaz, an engineer by profession, is a resident of Delhi, had escaped…
— ANI (@ANI) October 2, 2023
The Delhi Police have disclosed that the apprehended individuals were part of a larger module that had sinister plans to carry out terror attacks across India. These plans were orchestrated by foreign-based handlers who provided instructions to the group. Shahnawaz, who also goes by the alias Shafi Uzzama, was taken into custody from a hideout in the national capital.
During the operation, the NIA recovered chemical substances and other incriminating materials believed to be intended for the fabrication of improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The NIA had earlier announced a cash reward of Rs 3 lakh each for information leading to the capture of Shahnawaz and three other wanted terror suspects: Rizwan Abdul, Haji Ali, Abdulla Faiyaz Shaikh alias Diaperwala, and Talha Liyakat Khan.
Shahnawaz, an engineer by profession, was a key figure in the ISIS Pune module case. Although he hails from Delhi, he had relocated to Pune. In a previous raid conducted in July, two of his associates were apprehended, while Shahnawaz managed to evade capture. He subsequently returned to Delhi and had been living in a hideout.
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The ongoing investigation by the police revealed that the duo arrested earlier in July had been actively planning terrorist activities in Delhi and had reached an advanced stage in their planning. It is a relief to know that a potentially major attack has been thwarted, particularly as the festive season approaches.
However, there is another significant aspect to this case. The Special Cell of the Delhi Police has also disclosed that Shahnawaz, the suspected ISIS terrorist, converted his wife, Basanti Patel, to Islam. Basanti Patel, a native of Gujarat, had married Shahnawaz when she was a Hindu. Following their marriage, she embraced Islam, and her name was changed to Maryam.
Special Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) HS Dhaliwal made this revelation while addressing the media about Shahnawaz’s arrest. Dhaliwal also mentioned that Shahnawaz, who had been on the NIA’s most-wanted list, holds a degree in mining engineering from the prestigious Visvesvaraya Institute of Technology. He said, “Shahnawaz is a mining engineer from Visvesvaraya Institute of Technology. His wife, Basanti Patel, has converted to Islam and is now known as Maryam.”
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Dhaliwal further highlighted that Shahnawaz and his associates, Alam, Arshad Warsi, and Mohammad Rizwan Ashraf, are all qualified engineers. Arshad is even pursuing a Ph.D. from Jamia Millia Islamia, demonstrating that these individuals had educational backgrounds that may have been used in furthering their nefarious activities.
The arrest of Shahnawaz, a suspected ISIS terrorist, and his associates in a coordinated operation by the Delhi Police is a significant breakthrough in the fight against terrorism. Their plans to carry out terror attacks across India have been disrupted in the nick of time.
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