‘Terror suspect’s phone records to reveal more about JeM’
LUCKNOW: Fourteen voice calls recorded in the cell phone of one of the two suspected Jaish-e-Mohammed ( JeM) operatives arrested by UP ATS from Deoband on February 22, are likely to reveal more details about the terror group’s nefarious plans and its network, said ATS officials.
The two – Shahnawaz Teli, 31, and Aquib Ahmad Malik, 25 – were arrested from a hostel in Deoband town of Saharanpur, where they were staying by posing as students of an Islamic institution, but they were not found enrolled anywhere.
An ATS official said the calls had crucial details about the recruitment process, possible terror targets and procurement of firearms and explosives. Initial investigation after the arrest of the two accused revealed that they were assigned tasks from their handlers to recruit new members for the terror group after radicalising them in the name of religious war, he added.
Asim Arun, IG, ATS said some recorded voice calls had been found in the handset of Shahnawaz Teli. Investigators were analysing the calls and Shahnawaz would be quizzed further in this regard.
He said the ATS was likely to retrieve crucial details from the recorded calls that would be helpful in exploring the terror network in UP and other states.
Another senior ATS official said the operations team had retrieved all the recorded calls and analyzing them. The team was preparing notes of the verbal conversation between Shahnawaz and his unknown commanders, he added.
The official said Shahnawaz had earlier denied interactions with senior commanders of the terror outfit but the recorded conversations suggested that he was in touch with top operatives.
The mobile intercepts of Shahnawaz, a resident of Pulwama (J&K), had earlier also revealed his conversation with some unknown caller in Kashmir after the Pulwama attack on February 14, said the officer.
Shahnawaz and Aquib will be further quizzed about the recorded calls, he added. The two suspects are already in ATS custody for interrogation after a court in Lucknow granted their 10-day police custody remand since February 23 night.