Published On : Thu, May 19th, 2022

RSS HQ recce: JeM terrorist’s mobile sent to Cyber Forensic Lab

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Nagpur: The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), Nagpur, has seized mobile phone of the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist from Jammu & Kashmir who had conducted recce of Dr Hedgewar Smriti Bhavan of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in Reshimbag in July last year. The phone was sent to Cyber Forensic Laboratory to retrieve data especially the video of Smriti Bhavan that was filmed by the terrorist and later deleted, reports said.

Raees Ahmed Sheikh Asadulla Sheikh (26), a resident of Khati Mohalla, Chandara, Awantipora town of Pulwama district in J&K, was thoroughly interrogated by ATS. He was sent to Magisterial Custody by the court on Tuesday.

According to reports, Raees was in contact with a person named Omar, who is operational commander of JeM’s Nawabpur (Pakistan)-based terrorist launching pad. They were using WhatsApp calling feature for interaction. Most of the phone calls were made by Raees through WhatsApp, the reports claimed. The cops are trying to retrieve the WhatsApp to ascertain his contacts. The cops are trying hard to identify the person who was tasked by JeM commanders to help Raees in a reconnaissance operation. However, Raees conducted the operation on his own as no person contacted him at Nagpur.

It may be mentioned here that on July 14, Raees took an auto-rickshaw and reached Reshimbag with the help of Google Maps. The location was sent by his handler, sources claimed. His target was to conduct recce of Smriti Bhavan. He deboarded the auto near Reshimbag ground in the afternoon. Raees reportedly told the investigators that he took video of Hedgewar Bhavan while walking through Reshimbag ground and pretending that he was talking to someone on cell phone. He later shared the video with his handler on WhatsApp but got admonished over poor quality of the video. He was instructed to again shoot the video. However, fearing police, Raees switched off his mobile phone.

Sources said, Raees then called the auto-rickshaw driver and asked him to take to a Masjid. The auto driver dropped him at a Masjid near Santra Market gate where he stayed for the day and returned to the hotel in the evening. On July 15, Raees returned to Srinagar by a Nagpur-Delhi-Srinagar flight.