The Delhi Police has arrested a key conspirator of the recently busted terror module in the Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir. The accused, identified as Riyaz Ahmed, was nabbed from the New Delhi Railway Station while he was trying to flee.
According to the police, Riyaz was involved in hatching a conspiracy along with two other terror associates, Khursheed Ahmad Rather and Ghulam Sarwar Rather, to receive arms and ammunition from across the Line of Control (LoC) by the terrorist handlers of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
The police said that they received specific information from the investigation agencies in Jammu and Kashmir that Riyaz was wanted in the terror module case, in which five people were arrested and a huge cache of arms and ammunition, including five AK rifles, five AK magazines, and 16 AK rounds, were recovered.
The arms and ammunition were sent by Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK)-based LeT terrorist handlers, Manzoor Ahmad Sheikh, alias Shakoor, and Qazi Mohammad Khushal, who were operating from across the border. The police said that Riyaz was absconding and would reach the New Delhi Railway Station in the wee hours. Sensing the gravity of the matter, a team of police personnel was deployed at all the entry and exit points and strategic locations of the railway station.
The alert staff acted promptly, identified Riyaz in the crowd, and apprehended him when he was trying to flee from Exit Gate No. 1 of the railway station in the early morning hours. He was subjected to intensive interrogation, and it was revealed that he, along with his friend Altaf, had boarded the Mahakaushal Express from Jabalpur and reached Hazrat Nizamuddin railway station at about 3:00 PM on February 3. From there, they took an auto and reached the New Delhi Railway Station. Riyaz was about to go to some other hideout.
The police said that Riyaz was suspected of having received a consignment of arms and ammunition from Khursheed and Ghulam, who were already arrested by the Jammu and Kashmir Police. Riyaz and his friend Altaf retired from the Indian Army on January 31, 2023.
The police have recovered one mobile phone and one SIM card from his possession. Riyaz was arrested under appropriate sections of the law, and the police officials of the concerned police station in Jammu and Kashmir were informed of further necessary action at their end.
The police said that further investigation was underway to unearth the whole conspiracy.
