How Delhi Police nabbed Lashker's top man Abdul Subhan

Delhi Police have arrested a top operative of Lashker-e-Taiba who was allegedly involved in indoctrination and recruitment of youths and planning and execution of terror strikes across the country. This is a major success for the investigating agencies as they have foiled another terror plot.

Who is Abdul Subhan?

• Abdul Subhan (42) hails from village Gumat Bihari in Mewat district is not a new name in the terror history of the country.

• He was arrested from Sarai Kale Khan bus stand earlier last week and was subjected to interrogation during which he spoke about ‘brain washing' of youths from Rajasthan, Haryana and Bihar.

• He was earlier arrested for carrying an arms consignment of RDX, AK 56 rifles, pistols, detonators, timers and ammunitions in a truck to Patan district in Gujarat. He was subsequently arrested by CBI officials.

• He was sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment in 2002 but was however released after eight years in 2010 following his good behavior.

• He had also sent LeT men to collect scriptures from riot-hit Muzaffarnagar, in UP, to radicalise the riot victims to join the outfit.

His links with other terrorists:

• During his earlier days, Subhan was closely associated Abdal alias Aftab Ahmed, a history-sheeter of Varanasi (who is at present in a Kolkata jail as he was deported from Dubai for his involvement in the shootout outside American Centre in Kolkata) and Asif Raza Khan alias Zaheer who was killed in an encounter with police.

How was Subhan arrested?

• A massive manhunt had been launched for his arrest after his name had surfaced during the probe and questioning of two accused persons Mohammad Shahid and Qari Rashid, both residents of Mewat district in Haryana.

• Shahid and Rashid had named Subhan as prime motivator who conducted recruitment on behalf of Lashker-e-Taiba.

• The investigating agencies were joined and it was found that in 2013 a known Lashker-e-Taiba terrorist of Pakistan had been in communication with certain Rajasthan and Haryana phone numbers and a conspiracy to commit a terrorist strike in the national capital was being discussed.

• The caller of this number had been frequenting Delhi, after which a massive manhunt was launched which led to the arrest of Subhan.

What have the investigators found with his arrest?

• His arrest and subsequent investigations into the case helped Delhi Police and central security agencies unravel the designs of terror outfit Lashker-e-Taiba to carry out strikes in Delhi, its adjoining areas and other parts of the country.

• Subhan allegedly became deadlier following his release from jail and his stay in jail had also enriched his experience in the terror world.

• He managed to motivate and recruit like-minded persons from his region into the cause of terror at the behest of his Pakistan-based mentors of LeT.

• Since 2010, Subhan visited mosques and religious congregations in his region and at the right time, he would introduce his identity as a hard core LeT terrorist and, with his charisma, successfully induct the susceptible into the terror outfit, the sources alleged.

Major terror bid foiled:

• With his arrest another major terror plot has been foiled by the Delhi Police. Subhan was reportedly planning terror strikes in Delhi and adjoining areas.

• He was planning to kidnap a leading industrialist in Delhi and with the extortion money wanted to target the national capital.