2 men held for ‘bike theft’ in Pune found on NIA radar in terror case linked to ‘ISIS-inspired’ outfit

No further details were available about the ISIS-inspired outfit that had been identified earlier by the NIA as Ratlam-based “Sufa”. But on Tuesday, hours before the arrests in Pune, the NIA had said in a separate statement that it had attached a poultry farm in Ratlam, which was allegedly “used by Sufa members for radicalising new cadres and training them in making Improvised Explosive Devices”.

Pune Police nabbed two accused namely Imran Khan and Md Yunus Saki who were wanted by NIA in a case of Rajasthan and have a reward of Rs 5 lakhs each. Both were detained by Police while they were trying to steal a bike yesterday in Kothrud area. One live round, 4 mobile phones… pic.twitter.com/dybwQojFpy

— ANI (@ANI) July 19, 2023

Pune Police Commissioner Retesh Kumaarr said, “Around 2.45 am on Tuesday, our patrolling team from the Kothrud police station spotted three persons stealing a two-wheeler and caught them after a chase. They were taken for a house search when they made an attempt to flee. One of them escaped while the other two were caught. In the house search, a bullet cartridge was found along with some tools used for bike theft, four cell phones and a laptop. The two men were placed under arrest.”

Kumaarr said that during “investigation and questioning, it came to light that these suspects, identified as Imran Khan and Mohammed Yunus Saki from Ratlam, are wanted by the NIA in a case from Rajasthan”.

“These suspects were absconding and there is a reward of Rs 5 lakh each for their arrest. Further probe is on in coordination with other agencies. A search is on for their accomplice and we hope to arrest him. According to their own version, the two were living in Pune for the last 16-17 months,” he said.

The police on Wednesday registered a separate case against the two for forgery, attempted theft and under provisions of the Arms Act. The two were remanded by a court to police custody till July 25.

The Indian Express visited the residential society in Pune’s Kondhwa area where the accused had been staying and found a team from the city police’s crime branch on the premises. A society resident said, “We got to know of the action when some police cars were seen on the premises and outside. We had never interacted (with the accused) and they hardly interacted with anyone and kept to themselves.” Another resident said, “We are handing over the security camera footage as sought by the police.”

A source close to the investigation said that Imran and Saki, along with a man identified as Firoz Khan, are the three suspects named in the NIA’s “most wanted list” for their alleged involvement in a case of plotting a terror attack in Rajasthan.

Officers said the plot came to light after the recovery by the Rajasthan police of around 12 kg of explosives and components used for assembling improvised explosive devices from a car in the Nimbahera area of Chittorgarh on March 30 last year. At the time, three suspects, Zubair Pathan (42), Saifulla Khan (34) and Altamas Khan (26), were arrested before the case was taken over by NIA on April 20 last year.

The NIA had said in its FIR, “These persons belong to Sufa, a terrorist organization based in Ratlam and were directed by their aakas (handlers) of Ratlam to carry out Jehadi objectives… The said explosive powder and other material was to be concealed inside the land at some isolated place near a bridge 10-12 km before Jaipur… They conspired with intention to target the sovereignty and integrity of the country and further create fear and terror among the citizens by way of explosion.”

The NIA also filed a chargesheet against 11 accused in the case on September 22 last year, naming one Imran Khan — also from Ratlam but different from the Imran Khan arrested by Pune police — as the prime accused and alleged mastermind of the plot.

An NIA statement at the time had said, “Main conspirator Imran Khan and other co-accused persons had hatched a conspiracy to commit terrorist acts. They were inspired by ISIS philosophy and activities. Imran Khan used to hold meetings and provide training in fabrication and assembling of IED to other co-accused at his farm. On the directions of accused Imran Khan, IEDs were assembled by procuring chemicals and other materials from the local market with the support of other accused persons.”

In its latest action, the NIA said the poultry farm owned by main conspirator Imran Khan was attached as part of the investigation.