Nagpur: The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), Nagpur, filed a 150 pages chargesheet in Special NIA Court against Jaish-e-Mohammed (Je M) terrorist from Jammu and Kashmir who was arrested by the ATS Nagpur for conducting recce of Dr Hedgewar Smriti Bhavan of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in Reshimbagh last year.
According to media reports, the chargesheet with accounts of witnesses was filed in the court. The chargesheet has evidences about accused Raees Ahmed Sheikh Asadulla Sheikh (26), a resident of Khati Mohalla, Chandara, Awantipora town of Pulwama district in J&K, arriving at Nagpur, his stay at hotel and his presence near Dr Hedgewar Smriti Bhavan. Raees was working as a ‘Hybrid’ militant who posed as a civilian to dissemble his violent activities. He was in the initial stage of terror activities when the police arrested him last year, the reports said, adding that recce of RSS Smriti Bhavan was his first out of home state operation.
A person named Omar, who is operational commander of JeM’s Nawabpur (Pakistan)-based terrorist launching pad, had tasked him to conduct the recce, the reports stated. Raees came to Nagpur by a Delhi-Mumbai-Nagpur flight on July 13, 2021 and checked into a hotel in Sitabuldi area. The handler had assured Raees that a local man would contact and help him at Nagpur in the operation.
However, Raees conducted the reconnaissance on his own as no person had contacted him at Nagpur, according to reports. The investigators are suspecting that local support was just a false assurance given by JeM to Raees to boost his confidence.
On July 14, Raees took an auto-rickshaw and reached Reshimbagh with the help of Google Map. The location was sent by his handler. His target was to conduct recce of Smriti Bhavan. He alighted near the Reshimbagh ground in the afternoon. Raees then switched on his mobile phone camera and held it near his head to show as if he was speaking to someone over the phone. He walked through the Reshimbagh ground while capturing the video. He shared the video with his handler on WhatsApp who got angry over the poor quality of video and instructed him to again shoot the video.
However, Raees refused citing police bandobast and switched off the mobile phone, the investigation revealed. He then called an auto-rickshaw driver and asked him to take him to a mosque. The auto-rickshaw driver dropped him at a mosque near Santra Market gate where he stayed for a whole day and returned to the hotel in the evening.
On July 15, Raees returned to Srinagar by a Nagpur-Delhi-Srinagar flight, the reports said. Raees, a poor person, was technically sound in electrical work. He got recruited in the JeM on the recommendation of a friend to manage his finances. The friend was killed by security forces in an encounter recently. A case under relevant sections of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act was registered against Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) at Kotwali Police Station.
The probe was transferred to ATS on the instructions of the then DGP Sanjay Pandey in March last year. The ATS had collected crucial leads from Raees during his consistent interrogation and also discovered the nefarious design of JeM to create terror in the State by targeting sensitive or vital installations.
