Terror suspects posed as graphic designers: Maharashtra ATS

Police found that they were residing at an apartment in Kondhwa. But while the three were being taken for a house search, police said that Alam escaped, and others were arrested.

A house search of the accused allegedly led to the recovery of electronic items, a drone, a weighing machine, maps, batteries, electronic circuit, soldering gun and chemical powder.

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A probe by the Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) has revealed that the suspects who were arrested in Pune with explosives and bomb circuits allegedly pretended to be ‘graphic designers’ to ‘cover’ their terror activities.

In submissions before the court, Pune city police and ATS had described terror suspects Mohammed Yusuf Khan (23) and Mohammed Yunus Mohammed Yakub Saki (24) as “graphic designers”. But an ATS probe revealed that Khan and Saki did no professional work in Pune to earn money, and allegedly pretended to be “graphic designers” so as to “cover” their terror activities. Also, ATS has alleged that they operated with fake names in Pune, as police seized fake Adhar cards and other documents.

Khan and Saki are from Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh. On July 18, Pune city police nabbed the two along with their aide Mohammed Shahnawaz Shafiurrehman Alam (31) of Jharkhand, when they were allegedly stealing a vehicle.

Police found that they were residing at an apartment in Kondhwa. But while the three were being taken for a house search, police said that Alam escaped, and others were arrested.

A house search of the accused allegedly led to the recovery of electronic items, a drone, a weighing machine, maps, batteries, electronic circuit, soldering gun and chemical powder.

An FIR was lodged against the three accused at Kothrud police station under relevant sections of the IPC, Indian Arms Act and the Maharashtra Police Act. Khan and Saki were found to be the “most wanted” accused in the Rajasthan Explosives Case of March 2022, being probed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Police alleged they were part of the ‘Al Sufa’ terror outfit linked to ISIS.

Chemical powder seized from their Kondhwa house was found to be explosive material. ATS took over the probe on July 22 and invoked sections of UAPA in this case.

Chandan Haygunde

Chandan Haygunde is an assistant editor with The Indian Express with 15 + years of experience in covering issues related to Crime, Courts, National Security and Human Rights. He has been associated with The Indian Express since 2007. Chandan has done investigative reporting on incidents of terrorism, left wing extremism, espionage cases, wildlife crimes, narcotics racket, cyber crimes and sensational murder cases in Pune and other parts of Maharashtra. While working on the ‘Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) Fellowship on Tigers, Tiger Habitats and Conservation’ in 2012, he reported extensively on the illegal activities in the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra. He has done in-depth reporting on the cases related to the Koregaon Bhima violence in Pune and hearings of the ‘Koregaon Bhima Commission of Inquiry’. ... Read More

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Anti Terrorism Squad