Rohan Umak
Dehradun man held: A 29-year-old man was arrested in Dehradun on Friday for allegedly sharing sensitive information about the key locations in the city with handlers based in Pakistan, the police said. As per police, the action was carried out under ‘Operation Prahar’ by the Uttarakhand Special Task Force (STF) and Dehradun police.
Illegal arms, spray can recovered
Officials said that the arrested accused has been identified as Vikrant Kashyap (29), a resident of Premnagar in Dehradun, who was apprehended on the intervening night of April 9 and 10. During the operation, the sleuths recovered an illegal .32 bore pistol, seven live cartridges and a spray paint can from his possession.
As learnt by the enforcement agencies, Kashyap had been working in truck body fabrication and resided for two years in Nabha town of Punjab. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of Dehradun, Ajai Singh said that Kashyap was in contact with Pakistan-based operatives Shahzad Bhatti and his associate Rana through social media applications such as WhatsApp and Instagram. Police said Kashyap was tasked with sharing videos and images of strategically important sites, including the Inter-state Bus Terminal (ISBT), police headquarters and other government buildings in Dehradun. The investigating police personnel said he was allegedly lured with promises of financial rewards and assistance in relocating to Dubai via Nepal.
Kashyap came in contact with Bhatti through posts related to Sidhu Moosewala
During interrogation, Kashyap told the police he had first contacted Bhatti after following his social media posts related to slain Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala, whom he admired deeply. Officials said he was subsequently directed to conduct reconnaissance of key locations, as well as carry out bomb attacks. A person identified as Gurjar was said to be tasked with providing explosives, funds and weapons to him.
Dehradun man held: Kashyap directed to spray ‘TTH’ in public places
Delving deeper into the probe, the police came to know that Kashyap was directed to spray ‘Tehreek-e-Taliban’ (TTH) at public places to spread fear and panic. He succeeded in doing the same in areas like Selakui, Advani Bridge and Jhajra, and shared the video evidence with the handlers.
Authorities also confirmed that he had recorded footage of the Jhajra police outpost and had transmitted it abroad.
The SSP went on to say that Kashyap had been assigned additional tasks, such as targeting individuals in Delhi and radicalising them. He added that crucial inputs have been retrieved from his cell phone, and further probe is underway in coordination with multiple agencies. He, as per police, has been booked by the Premnagar police under several provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the officials are probing the extent of the alleged network.
