ISIS Pune Module: Delhi Court sends Shahnawaz in Police Custody for 14 Days

A Delhi court has granted a 14-day police custody of three ISIS operatives to the Delhi Police’s Special Cell in connection with the Pune module case.

The accused, namely Shahnawaz alias Shafi Uzzama and two others, were presented before a special judge at his residence.

Shahnawaz had been prominently featured on the National Investigation Agency’s (NIA) most wanted list, with a reward of Rs 3 lakh offered for his capture. These individuals were sought in connection with the Pune ISIS case.

Special judge Hardeep Kaur remanded Mohd Rizwan, Mohd Arshad and Shahnawaz to 14 days’ police custody of Special Cell.

All three accused will next appear before the court on October 16.

According to the police, Shahnawaz was apprehended on Sunday in Jaitpur, South Delhi. In addition to him, two other individuals, also subject to rewards by the National Investigation Agency, were arrested. During a press briefing, Special Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) HS Dhaliwal stated, “Last month, NIA announced rewards for three individuals suspected of involvement in blast cases. Among them, Mohammad Shahnawaz, the primary suspect, has been apprehended alongside his associates, Mohammad Rizwan Ashraf and Mohammad Arshad Warsi.”

“Ashraf was apprehended in Lucknow, while Arshad was detained in Moradabad,” the police officer further added. Arshad, as revealed by the police, hails from Jharkhand and pursued his studies at Aligarh University. Currently, he is pursuing a doctorate at Jamia Millia Islamia in Delhi.

Dhaliwal disclosed that bomb-making literature sent by handlers based in Pakistan and other incriminating materials were recovered from Shahnawaz’s hideouts. He stated, “Various explosive-making materials, including elementary plastic tubes and iron pipes, were seized. Furthermore, a pistol, cartridges, and bomb-making literature sent by handlers based in Pakistan were also recovered.”

The police revealed that initial interrogations indicated that these individuals conducted extensive reconnaissance in Western Ghats, Southern India, including locations such as Hubbali, Dharwad, and Ahmedabad in Gujarat, to establish their hideouts.

Responding to media queries, Dhaliwal mentioned, “Shahnawaz is a mining engineer who graduated from Visvesvaraya Institute of Technology. His wife, Basanti Patel, converted to Islam and now goes by the name Mariam.”

Last month, the NIA released images of four terror suspects, including Shahnawaz, who were wanted in connection with the Pune ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) module case. The agency offered a reward of Rs 3 lakh for credible information leading to their arrest, ensuring the confidentiality of the informant’s identity.

Shahnawaz was briefly detained by the Pune Police on the night of July 17-18 while attempting to steal a motorcycle in the Kothrud area of Pune. During the investigation, it was revealed that a foreign-based handler had potentially put Shahnawaz in contact with two other terror operatives, instructing them to carry out a terror attack.