Lucknow: The deadly explosion that rocked Delhi on Monday evening was initially planned to take place in Uttar Pradesh, according to intelligence inputs shared by the Jammu and Kashmir Police and Gujarat ATS. The revelation has put UP’s security agencies on high alert.
A senior Uttar Pradesh police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that security forces had already been receiving similar alerts earlier, which prompted an increase in surveillance across major cities. “Lucknow was among the primary targets. Several other big cities in the state were also under threat,” the officer said.
Officials revealed that two separate terror modules had recently come to light in Uttar Pradesh — one foiled by the Gujarat ATS and the other by the Jammu and Kashmir Police. “It is suspected that the terrorists changed their plan after their networks were exposed,” the officer added.
After the arrest of Dr. Adil from Faridabad and the recovery of about 2,900 kg of explosives, investigators believe that members of the same network were attempting to shift operations towards Uttar Pradesh. “It cannot be ruled out that the blast near Delhi’s Red Fort could have occurred in any city of UP,” said a senior official.
Sources said the terror group was specifically looking for recruits familiar with the geography of Uttar Pradesh, capable of reaching target locations without relying on mobile phones. Two such suspects — Azad Suleman Sheikh of Shamli and Mohammad Suhail of Lakhimpur — were allegedly identified for this task but were arrested by Gujarat ATS before they could act.
Last month, intelligence inputs from Jammu and Kashmir Police had warned that individuals might attempt to carry out attacks under the guise of Tablighi Jamaat activities. Acting on this, the Uttar Pradesh Police placed Tablighi Jamaat members under close watch and verbally instructed district officials not to allow their gatherings. Officers were directed to monitor anyone joining or moving with the group, based on an advisory issued by the DGP Headquarters.
An ATS officer confirmed that more than six individuals have been detained so far for questioning, most of them from western Uttar Pradesh. Some arrests were made following leads from Gujarat ATS, while others were based on information shared by Jammu and Kashmir Police.
The UP ATS will also question Dr. Shaheen Shahid of Lucknow, who was arrested from Faridabad on November 10. A team has already left for Jammu and Kashmir to gather details about her connections in Uttar Pradesh.