HEADLEY II HELD FROM VARANASI

A Lashkar terror suspect, dubbed 'Headley II' by the security agencies, has been arrested in Varanasi in a joint operation. Identified as one Abdul Naeem Sheikh from Maharashtra, he is alleged to be close to 26/11 accused Abu Jundal.

Much like David Coleman Headley, an American terrorist of Pakistan origin, and a spy who conspired with the LeT in plotting the 2008 Mumbai attacks, Naeem is alleged to have made videos of Kashmir army camps and power plants. He is also reported to have visited Kasol – an Israeli settlement in Himachal Pradesh and had plans to attack foreign tourists.

But primarily he was planning a terror attack in Varanasi – Prime Minister Modi’s constituency. His handler too has been arrested from a Middle East country, reports CNN IBN.

The agencies have dubbed Sheikh as 'David Coleman Headley' as he had been working on his footprints and did recce of the same areas. Headley, a Pakistan-American, is serving a prison sentence of 35 years in a US jail for his involvement in terror activities and the 26/11 Mumbai attacks of 2008.

Officials close to the case said that Sheikh was wanted by security agencies in various cases, including the Mumbai train attacks of 2006-2007.

"Sheikh was nabbed by the security agencies at that time and was under trial. In August 2014, he managed to give a slip to security agencies and escaped when he was being taken from Dum Dum Central jail (Kolkata) to Mumbai. He fled while the train was passing through the deep forests in Chhattisgarh," an official said.

After fleeing from custody, Sheikh established a new sleeper cell under instruction from his LeT handler Amjad. "Sheikh then had done a number of reconnaissance operations in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh following instructions from Amjad. He had targeted high profile tourist sites, including Taj Mahal in Uttar Pradesh."

The case has been handed over to the National Investigation Agency for further probe, added the official.