13 August,2016 08:44 AM IST | | Vijay Kumar Yadav
ATS says that the quantity of explosives seized is not their entire stash; believe that the four arrested got wind of the police raid and got rid of some of the material
The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) now suspects that the four arrested Parbhani-based IS sympathisers may have destroyed some explosives, as the quantity seized from one of the accused does not seem sufficient to carry out their plan to target two police establishments and a senior police officer.
The ATS has arrested Naser Chaus, Shahid Khan, Iqbal Ahmed Kabir Ahmed and Mohammed Raisuddin under relevant sections of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and the Indian Penal Code. Later, the ATS further invoked sections of Explosives Act after an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was found from Chaus's relative's home.
The seized explosives weighed over one kg and could strike a low intensity blast. It was sent to FSL for examination. A senior ATS officer said the IED was prepared on the instructions of ISIS's foreign handler Farooq, who taught the accused how to make the bombs online. In fact, to ensure that the IED is made perfectly, he even asked for a picture of their handiwork to be sent to him.
However, after interrogating Chaus and other accused, the ATS learnt that the seized explosive is not the entire haul. The police now believes that after the accused got wind that the cops were onto them, they disposed off some of their stash, probably in a river.
On Friday the court sent Chaus to judicial custody and remanded the three others to ATS custody.
