New Delhi: The arrest of the wanted suspect, Shabir Ahmed Lone, opened up about his involvement in transmitting sensitive information from India to Pakistan-based terrorist groups. Currently, Lone is under police detention, officials said, and leads are emerging from the probe.
According to the sources, Lone has confessed that he monitored several key locations in the national capital, such as Kalkaji Temple, Chhatarpur Temple and the Lotus Temple.
Lone is also suspected to conduct reconnaissance of crowded commercial places like Cannaught Place and Paharganj on the target list. Additionally, videos were allegedly recorded of these locations and shared with Pakistan-based handlers.
Officials said Lone had operational links in Bangladesh, where he coordinated activities for Lashkar-e-Taiba and kept in contact with Pakistan’s intelligence agency.
The efforts were underway to establish a new terror outfit in Bangladesh similar to The Resistance Front (TRF), which was previously linked to attacks in Jammu and Kashmir.
The investigation revealed that the outfit was planning reconnaissance operations across the Delhi-NCR region. The network is also making efforts to recruit or radicalise individuals as anti-India propaganda is carried out in Delhi and Kolkata.
The handlers and Lone used encrypted platforms such as Telegram for communication. However, investigators were able to trace Lone’s network through the use of a specific mobile number.
Officials believe the timely arrest may have averted a major attack in Delhi. The case has raised fresh concerns over security preparedness in Delhi and the wider region, with agencies continuing to investigate the extent of the network and its possible links.