In a major breakthrough, the Assam Police’s Special Task Force (STF) arrested eight terror suspects, including a Bangladesh national, Md Sad Radi, who is associated with the Al-Qaeda affiliate Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT). Radi had entered India in November with the goal of activating sleeper cells in Assam and West Bengal. After carrying out initial operations, he moved to Kerala, where he was arrested in a coordinated effort with Kerala and Bengal police.

The STF’s operation, named “Praghat,” was launched based on detailed intelligence that uncovered plans by the terrorist group to target Hindu organizations, particularly members of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Radi’s movement across multiple states raised alarms, suggesting that the terror plot was larger in scope than initially anticipated.

The group, led by Md Farhan Israk, an aide of an ABT leader in Bangladesh, was plotting violent acts, including assassinations of prominent Hindu leaders, to create communal unrest and disrupt national harmony. According to the STF, the suspects were working to recruit youth into terrorist organizations and were involved in spreading radical ideologies across West Bengal and Kerala.

The arrested individuals, including Minarul Sheikh, Md Abbas Ali, and others, were found to have participated in several meetings where they devised strategies to target Hindu groups and influence vulnerable youth to join their cause. These meetings, held in locations across West Bengal like Murshidabad and Falakata, were aimed at fostering religious tensions.

Special Director General of Police Harmeet Singh highlighted the importance of this operation in curbing the spread of external jihadi elements into India, stressing that it was a crucial step in preventing a potential outbreak of violence. The STF’s success in dismantling this plot underscores the growing threat posed by terrorist networks in the region and the need for continued vigilance.

Training to derail trains being imparted via madarsas in Jhansi and Kanpur, reveals NIA-ATS probe, mob had freed Mufti Khalid Nadvi detained in connection with the conspiracy.
As per the probe, students of the madarsas are being radicalised and instigated to derail trains. Moreover, the youths are also being trained on how to derail trains.

Amid rising incidents of attempts to derail trains by placing various objects on tracks are various places in the country, it has been revealed that training on how to derail trains was being imparted in madarsas. A probe by NIA and Uttar Pradesh ATS has unveiled a conspiracy to derail trans in Jhansi and Kanpur.

As per the probe, students of the madarsas are being radicalised and instigated to derail trains. Moreover, the youths are also being trained on how to derail trains. As part of the probe, the agencies are conducting raids at various madarsas in the region.

Such training is being imparted via online mode, and the probe teams recovered several videos. In the videos, radical Islamists are seen instigating youths to derail train, and also instructing on how to do the task.

One Madarsa teacher named Mufti Khalid Nadvi is being interrogated in connection with the conspiracy.

On Thursday, the investing team raided the houses of Nadvi and questioned him for several hours. However, when NIA and ATS teams were taking him to the police station for further interrogation, a massive Muslim mob attacked the convoy and freed Nadvi. The mob including a large number of women gathered after announcements were made from the local mosque.

Later the police again detained him, and he is being questioned. How laptop, mobile phone, and other items have been seized. He is accused of involvement in terrorist activities and foreign funding. After questioning, police released Mufti Khalid Nadvi.

Police have also filed a case against around 100 people for attacking the NIA-ATS team and freeing the detained person. Raids are being conducted to nab the accused.

In the last 3 months, there have been several attempts to derail important trains like the Sabarmati Express and Kalindi Express around Jhansi and Kanpur. Stones were also pelted on the ‘Vande Bharat’ train in this region. Various objects like cylinders, wood logs etc were placed on the tracks, however, they were spotted by alert railway workers or locals, and there was no untoward incident.

Photo: File Photo

A staggering scam involving over 52,000 fraudulent birth certificates has been uncovered in the Rae Bareli district of Uttar Pradesh. The fake documents were allegedly used to settle Bangladeshi infiltrators, along with individuals from Pakistan, Nepal, and various Indian states, raising serious national security concerns.

The investigation, which commenced on July 18, 2024, revealed that the forged certificates originated from 11 villages in the Salon block of Rae Bareli. The operation is believed to have helped infiltrators and individuals from states such as Bihar, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Jharkhand, and Madhya Pradesh obtain identification.

Villages Implicated in the Scam
The fraudulent documents were concentrated in Palhipur, which recorded the highest number (13,707 fake certificates), followed by Nuruddinpur (10,151) and Prithvipur (9,393). Other villages involved include Madhavpur Ninaya, Sanda Saidan, Lahurepur, and Garhi Islamnagar.

Arrests and Key Accused
Four individuals have been arrested, including alleged mastermind Mohammad Zeeshan, along with Riaz, Suhail Khan, and Block Development Officer (BDO) Vijay Singh Yadav. Zeeshan, a resident of Salon, reportedly orchestrated the forgery in collaboration with others, using official credentials to approve the fake certificates.

BDO Vijay Singh Yadav initially filed a complaint to declare his innocence but was found complicit in the scam after investigations revealed he had shared his credentials with Zeeshan.

Magnitude of the Scam
The scale of the operation is unprecedented, with fraudsters generating up to 1,000 fake certificates daily, significantly exceeding the system’s designed capacity of 100 certificates per day.

Government and Security Measures
The Uttar Pradesh government has invalidated all fraudulent certificates and directed strict monitoring of the issuance process. Deputy Director Panchayati Raj, Saswat Anand Singh, has enforced new measures to ensure that birth and death certificates are issued with greater scrutiny.

The Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) are investigating the case to determine whether the forged documents were used for illegal activities or posed national security risks.

Discovery of the Conspiracy
Authorities uncovered the scam when birth certificates issued in certain villages far exceeded the population figures. Several village heads were unaware of the fraudulent activities, further highlighting systemic lapses in oversight.

This scam not only emphasizes the need for stringent monitoring and digital security but also raises questions about the exploitation of legal systems by foreign infiltrators. The ongoing investigation aims to uncover the full scope of this conspiracy and its broader implications for national security.