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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

ATS questions 112 across Maharashtra

Agency says Pakistani gangster lured youths through social media AI generated image Mumbai: In one of the biggest coordinated counter-terror operations in recent months, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) carried out simultaneous raids and searches at dawn across the state in which around 112 persons were quizzed for their alleged social media links with a Pakistan-based alleged ISI handler-cum-mafiosi Shahzad Bhatti, officials said. According to the ATS, an undisclosed number of...

ATS questions 112 across Maharashtra

Agency says Pakistani gangster lured youths through social media AI generated image Mumbai: In one of the biggest coordinated counter-terror operations in recent months, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) carried out simultaneous raids and searches at dawn across the state in which around 112 persons were quizzed for their alleged social media links with a Pakistan-based alleged ISI handler-cum-mafiosi Shahzad Bhatti, officials said. According to the ATS, an undisclosed number of personnel drawn from all its 14 units in the state launched synchronised swoops with Friday morning ‘knocks’ at the homes and other locations of those suspects identified in the ongoing probe. As per a preliminary probe, Bhatti, along with his alleged associates, Abid Jaat alias Abid Chal, Ajmal Gujar, Mohammad Memon, Rana Hussain, Ashraf Basheer Alam and others, attempted to establish a network among youngsters through social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Telegram and WhatsApp, they said. The accused allegedly circulated provocative religious content to influence youths, particularly those who were unemployed, and lured them with promises of financial assistance in an attempt to involve them in activities such as information gathering, drugs and arms smuggling, an official said. The immediate purpose behind the action was to verify the nature of the purported links of these persons with Bhatti ostensibly through various social media platforms and to collect more concrete evidence. The ATS operation comes barely two days after the Delhi Police Special Cell claimed to have busted two alleged modules purportedly linked to Bhatti and arrested six suspected operatives from the country’s national capital and Punjab. The Maharashtra ATS carried out the searches in Bandra, Kurla and Jogeshwari (Mumbai); Navi Mumbai; Bhayander and Mira Road (Thane); Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar; Sangli; Satara; and certain other locations around the state. It is considered as a run-up to the security preparations ahead of the upcoming 79th Independence Day celebrations on Aug. 15. Online Interactions ATS officials revealed that the investigation centres around establishing and verifying whether the online interactions of these 112 persons were casual or could point to a deeper network with wider ramifications. The ATS suspects that Bhatti and his cohorts may be allegedly exploiting social media platforms to lure and influence youngsters towards anti-national or subversive activities. Remaining tight-lipped on the outcome, the officials pointed out that the probe is still continuing and further details are expected to emerge after the statements and evidence are scrutinized. The Delhi Police had said that, acting at Bhatti’s behest, the six arrested suspects had allegedly conspired to perpetrate ‘petrol bomb’ strikes at key locations in the national capital. Reported Recce Among various sites, these persons reportedly carried out a recce of the New Police Lines in Civil Lines, the Anand Vihar Inter-State Bus Terminal, a major railway station and certain crowded market areas. Videos of these and other locations were recovered from the mobile phones of the accused and were allegedly routed to Bhatti via some banned messaging app and 10 others with whom they are said to be linked. With this, the Delhi Police claimed to have busted a Pakistan-backed terror and arms-smuggling syndicate linked to Bhatti through coordinated multi-state raids spanning Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, and thwarted major planned attacks in these regions. The social media chats recovered show Bhatti reportedly giving instructions to one of the suspects, Danish alias Chand Miyan, pertaining to the delivery and storage of some ‘material’, which the Delhi Police sleuths claim could refer to petrol bombs. Earlier, the investigators had found petrol bombs from the vicinity of Vijay Ghat – the resting place of India’s second PM, Lal Bahadur Shastri. The Delhi accused were assigned different roles, including recces of key targets, ferrying and selling weapons, besides distributing consignments allegedly dropped into India by drones. The police are probing the wider cross-border conspiracy, the role of other Pakistan-based handlers and their associates and modules in India.

Knives out in legislature

Updated: Mar 21, 2025

Disha Salian

Mumbai: Death of celebrity manager Disha Salian in 2020 once again rocked the Maharashtra legislature on Thursday. While cabinet ministers Nitesh Rane and Shambhuraj Desai demanded that Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aditya Thackeray be arrested in the case, BJP MLA Amit Satam in the assembly and another BJP member Chitra Wagh in the council demanded that the report of SIT to probe Salian’s death be made public.


Incidentally, amidst repeated disruptions in both the houses, some members from the treasury benches were seen speaking in favour of Aditya Thackeray, while Shiv Sena (UBT) members like Adv Anil Parab were seen supporting the BJP members’ demand that the report of the SIT probe be made public. In addition, there were allegations and counter allegations and personal accusations among members from the treasury and opposition benches which led to heated debate on occasions.


The opposition termed the attempts from the treasury benches to link Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aditya Thackeray’s name in the case, as a ‘conspiracy’.


“I think this matter has gone to the court. We have no idea what he (Disha’s father) has said, but Aaditya Thackeray is a mature leader, a young leader. The Bharatiya Janata Party is conspiring to defame him by putting pressure on him. We don’t need to answer to this conspiracy. The court will answer,” Ambadas Danve said.


Earlier in the day, when the house gathered for the business, Minister of State for Home appraised the assembly of the status in this case. “SIT has been formed to probe in the case. Their report has not been received as yet. However, the government shall act according to directives from the court,” the minister told the house.


Another BJP minister Nitesh Rane, however, said that since Satish Salian has levelled allegations against an MVA minister, that leader be treated like a common person and that everybody should be treated equally before the law. Shiv Sena minister Shambhuraj Desai too supported the demand. “Since the allegations are grave, the person in question should be immediately arrested and the case be investigated,” he said.


Later, while speaking to media in the legislature premises, Rane asked Uddhav Thackeray to come clean on the issue. “If they say that we are politicizing the issue, Uddhav Thackeray should also tell the people why he had called, not just once but twice, to the then union minister Narayan Rane urging him to save his son?” Rane said.


He also accused the opposition of shying away from coming clean on the issue. “If they feel that we are not telling the truth, they should say so in the house. But they are shying away from doing so. Bhaskar Jadhav, who is always aggressive, was nowhere to be seen when this issue came up in the house. Sunil Prabhu too escaped the house under the pretext of a phone call. I challenge them to say that whatever I said on the issue is wrong,” Rane said.


He also said that Aditya Thackeray should resign on moral grounds till his name is cleared in the case.


BJP MLA Amit Satam demanded that the details of the SIT probe be made public so that the people would know if the probe is headed in right direction.


Interestingly, while the ruling parties were targeting the opposition in the case, senior BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar surprised all with his unexpected support to Thackerays. “I do not have any evidences in the case. But if her father has made any fresh allegations that needs to be investigated thoroughly. The assembly can discuss the issue at length tomorrow. In the meanwhile, members like Rane, who seem to have some evidences in the case should hand them over to the investigating agencies and help the probe,” he told the house.


Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Gaikwad and Sheetal Mhatre too toed the line and demanded that more and more evidences should come forth.


Similarly, when members of treasury benches were pushing for revealing the details of the probe till date to the public, Shiv Sena (UBT) member Anil Parab supported the demand. “Doing that shall conclusively prove the innocence of Aditya Thackeray,” he said.

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