Suspected LeT operative arrested from Haryana; terror outfit 'was planning' to attack Delhi

New Delhi: A terror module of Lashkar-e-Toiba which was in an 'advanced stage' of planning a militant strike in Delhi has been busted by the Delhi Police with the arrest of a suspected operative from Mewat region of Haryana.

Mohammad Shahid (32) was arrested from his house in Mewat on Monday after police trailed him for more than one week. Shahid was working as a 'Maulvi' in Noorani Masjid in Choti Mewli village of Nuh district, while he is a permanent resident of Bazeedpur village in the same area.

"Secret information was received towards the end of November that a known LeT terrorist Javed Baluchi of Pakistan had been in touch with a sub module in Mewat and a conspiracy to commit a terrorist strike in the national capital was being hatched," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Sanjeev Kumar Yadav.

This information was further developed and it was learnt that a member of this module is moving in Delhi, Haryana and Rajasthan.

To unravel the entire conspiracy, investigation was taken up by the Special Cell and Shahid was arrested after meticulous efforts, police said. During interrogation, Shahid allegedly said that he had joined the LeT module about six/seven months ago and since then, was being handled by local Mewat based handlers.

"He further told us that LeT had made inroads in the Mewat region and his local handlers, who are presently absconding, were in touch with senior Pakistan based LeT commanders and were at an advanced stage of planning a terrorist strike in the national capital.

"The responsibility entrusted on Shahid was to arrange logistics and communication for the terrorist attack," said Yadav. According to Delhi police sources, the terror module was spread across Delhi, Haryana and Rajasthan. Baluchi, who is a top LeT commander, was the handler of this module.

Shahid was introduced to him by a fellow Mewati and the duo had even gone to Pakistan apparently to meet him, sources said. He had come under police scanner after investigators traced Baluchi's calls to his cellphone and even recorded their conversations.

Special Cell officers have also recovered a diary from Shahid which gives details of the terror attack being planned in prominent market places of the national capital, the sources said. The police said that the remaining members of this terrorist module, who have gone underground since the arrest of Shahid, are being identified and traced. Further investigations are on.

LeT operative being trailed for past one week: Shinde

Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde today said suspected Lashkar-e-Toiba operative Mohammed Shahid, who has been arrested by Delhi Police, was being trailed for the last one week. "We were trailing this man for the last one week and he is now with us. We worked silently...and I applaud our men for this feat," he said.

Shahid was arrested by the Special Cell of Delhi Police from Mewat in Haryana. With his arrest, the police claimed to have busted a terror module which was planning to attack prominent market places in the national capital.