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LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) has busted a suspected panic module allegedly operating nether the directions of Pakistani handlers, arresting 4 persons for readying arson attacks connected railway infrastructure and conducting reconnaissance of cardinal installations and nationalist assets crossed aggregate cities.According to ATS officials, quality inputs indicated that this radical was successful continuous interaction with Pakistan-based handlers done societal media platforms and was progressive successful anti-national activities aimed astatine creating panic and economical disruption.ATS investigations revealed that the pack was led by Saqib alias “Devil” (25), a nonmigratory of Meerut, who allegedly maintained links with handlers via platforms specified arsenic Telegram, Signal, and Instagram.
He was besides reportedly connected to extremist groups and overseas numbers, including those linked to Afghanistan. The module was tasked with carrying retired reconnaissance of important institutions, governmental figures, railway awesome systems, and vehicles, and sharing inputs with handlers crossed the border.Police said the radical planned to harm railway awesome boxes, acceptable occurrence to state cylinder-laden trucks, and people salient establishments to dispersed fear.
In immoderate cases, the accused had already carried retired insignificant arson incidents, recorded videos, and sent them to their handlers successful speech for wealth transferred done QR codes.The ATS said handlers utilized provocative identities and extremist narratives online to instigate the accused to transportation retired attacks, including targeting vehicles connected spiritual lines and executing acts aligned with broader panic propaganda.Apart from Saqib, different accused are Arbaab (20) from Meerut, Vikas Gehlawat alias Raunak (27) and Lokesh alias Papla Pandit alias Sanju (19), some from Gautam Budh Nagar. Police said the second 2 were recruited done societal media and allegedly conducted reconnaissance activities successful cities including Ghaziabad, Aligarh, and Lucknow.Officials said the accused had besides received Google determination pins of targeted sites from their handlers, based connected which they conducted surveillance and shared video footage.On April 2, 2026, the radical allegedly planned to transportation retired arson and imaginable explosions adjacent railway awesome infrastructure adjacent to Lucknow railway station. Acting connected a tip-off, ATS teams reached the spot and arrested each 4 accused earlier the program could beryllium executed.A lawsuit has been registered astatine the ATS constabulary presumption successful Lucknow nether applicable sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.
The accused person been produced earlier a court, and further ineligible proceedings are underway.During searches, the ATS recovered a instrumentality filled with inflammable material, 7 mobile phones, 24 pamphlets, and individuality documents. Officials said elaborate forensic investigation of integer devices is underway to hint the wider web and backing channels.Preliminary interrogation suggests that the radical was actively moving to undermine India’s sovereignty and integrity by carrying retired coordinated acts of sabotage and spreading terror. Further probe is ongoing to place further links and imaginable sleeper cells, said the ATS.
