The NIA has arrested a man from Maharashtra on suspicion of being a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative and allegedly carrying out reconnaissance on behalf of the terror outfit. The arrested person, identified as Abdul Nayeem Sheikh, was held from Varanasi recently, it is learnt. An officer said some photographs and maps were recovered from him, and claimed that he has carried out reconnaissance of some vital installations, including Army camps and power projects. The accused is learnt to be a resident of Aurangabad, Maharashtra, and was reportedly on the radar of intelligence agencies for the past few months. Sheikh has visited various places across the country in the past few months and had been in touch with an LeT handler, according to a source in security establishment. The officer said that Sheikh had visited Kashmir recently and carried out reconnaissance of an Army camp and a hydroelectric project there. He had also allegedly visited Kasol in Himachal Pradesh. The agency suspects the visit may have been part of a plan to harm Jews, as the hill station is very popular among Israeli nationals. The accused was being interrogated by NIA and Intelligence Bureau officials to get further leads on his associates and his handlers, a source said.
