26-year-old Held from Maha’s Bhayandar in Connection with ISI

MUMBAI:
In a joint operation by the Delhi Police Special Cell and the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), a 26-year-old Huzaifa Farooq Ahmed Hashmi was arrested from Bhayandar, near Mumbai, in connection with an alleged Pakistan-based ISI and Mumbai underworld module case, officials said on Wednesday.

Following his arrest, Hashmi was produced before a court in Thane. During the hearing, the judge reportedly asked the accused whether he knew why he had been arrested. According to the official information, the accused replied that he was aware of the reason for his arrest.

The Delhi Special Cell, along with ATS, sought permission from the Thane court to produce Hashmi before the Patiala House Court in the national capital. Investigators also presented screenshots of the accused’s chats and banking transactions before the court and requested his transfer to Delhi for further investigation.

According to officials, the court asked how the accused would be transported to Delhi, to which the Delhi-ATS Special Team informed that he would be taken by train. When asked how long the journey would take, the team requested a three-day transit warrant, which the court approved.

With the court’s permission, the accused is expected to be produced before the Patiala House Court on Friday.

According to investigators, Hashmi had been in contact for the past month with Yawar Khan, who is allegedly based in Pakistan.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Police Special Cell on May 30 had arrested nine individuals allegedly operating at the behest of a Pakistan-based ISI-Mumbai underworld network. Officials said that the accused also had links with the Dawood Ibrahim syndicate.

Investigators have identified nearly 600 individuals across the country who were allegedly in contact with Pakistani gangster Shahzad Bhatti through various channels, primarily social media platforms.

As part of the operation, Sajid Mehboob Sheikh, alias Arbaz Khan, was arrested from Kurla in Mumbai, while Tauqeer Rizwan Sheikh was apprehended from Mumbra. Both accused have been brought to Delhi for further investigation.

The terror module was planning to carry out attacks in Delhi and Mumbai.