2 Pakistani nationals among 3 planning terror activities held near Indo-Nepal border

Lucknow, April 4

The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) on Thursday arrested near the Nepal border three men who were allegedly planning to “commit terror activities in India”, according to officials.

The trio which included two Pakistani nationals were carrying forged Indian identity proofs, a statement released by the ATS said.

“Acting on an intelligence input that some terrorists with an aim to commit terror activities in India are going to enter via the Indo-Nepal border, a team of Gorakhpur ATS unit was put on alert. The unit on Thursday arrested three accused while entering India via the Indo-Nepal border,” the statement read.

The accused have been identified as Mohammad Altaf Bhatt, a resident of Rawalpindi in Pakistan; Sayyed Gajnafar, a native of Islamabad; and Nasir Ali, a resident of Jammu and Kashmir; it said.

The trio were arrested at the Indo-Nepal border in Sonauli in Maharajganj district, the statement added.

Bhatt came in contact with Ganjafar in Kathmandu where they got forged Indian documents, including Aadhaar cards. They then met Ali who was tasked with getting Bhatt and Ganjafar to Kashmir via the Indo-Nepal border, the statement read.

“Mohammad Altaf Bhatt told ATS officials that he was trained at a Hizbul Mujahideen camp of Muzaffarabad with the support of ISI with an intention to liberate Kashmir from India. Bhatt was headed to Jammu and Kashmir on the direction of the ISI to conduct terror activities,” the statement said.

The ATS recovered fake Indian documents, Pakistani documents, and passports from their possession, the officials said.

An FIR has been registered against the trio under Sections 420 (cheating), 120B (criminal conspiracy), and 121A (waging or attempting to wage war or abetting waging of war, against the Government of India) of the Indian Penal Code. Further investigation is under way, they said.