Security has been beefed up after agencies found detailed video recce of National Security Adviser Ajit Doval's office and his residence was carried out by a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist Hidayat-Ullah Malik, who was arrested last week from Anantnag.
Upon further probe into the big breakout, security officials said that Hidayat-Ullah Malik, a resident of Shopian and the leader of a Jaish front group, Lashkar-e-Mustafa, had made videos, including minute details of Doval's office as well as some other locations in the national capital, such as Sardar Patel Bhawan, and sent the files over the phone to the commanders of the proscribed group in Pakistan.
Disclosure in major terror plot
As per reports, Malik, during his interrogation, revealed that he had taken a flight to Delhi on May 25, 2019, and recorded a video of Doval's office and then passed it on to his Pakistani handler named 'Doctor' through WhatsApp. He said he had returned to Kashmir in a bus following the recce.
The JeM terrorist further confessed that he had also conducted recce of the Samba sector border area in mid 2019, along with Sameer Ahmad Dar, another terrorist, arrested by NIA in January last year for his involvement with the 2019 Pulwama terror attack.
The Jammu and Kashmir police also found that Malik had provided a Santro car to one terrorist for a fidayeen attack in May 2020. "He is an important catch. From conducting recce, planning terror attacks to picking and dropping terror operatives, Malik was involved in all," said a senior police officer.
Among all his disclosures, the police said the key finding was that of the three JeM terrorists who looted the J&K bank cash van in Shopian in November last year and carried out a dacoity of Rs 60 lakh.
Arms smuggling channel busted
During his investigation, Malik also disclosed names of at least eight terrorists with whom he was in touch with.
The police said that the arrested terrorist had also set up a network of young Kashmiri students, who are studying in Punjab, Bihar and other cities and utilised their services with the help of his associates active in these states.
In another sensational revelation, Malik said it is through one of these networks a consignment of seven pistols from Chappra was smuggled in Kashmir and handed over to cadres to carry out strikes.
Malik was arrested in the afternoon of February 6, along with arms and ammunition.
A case has been registered at Gangyal police station after Malik's arrest. At least four others were questioned in connection with the case, including Malik's wife, who is a resident of Bihar and pursuing a course in a college in Chandigarh.
It should be noted that Doval has been on the hit list of Pak-based terror groups since the 2016 surgical strike and the 2019 Balakot airstrikes. He has also been one of the country's most protected personalities and that is the reason why the possible keys of the terror threat has already been conveyed to security agencies as well as the Ministry of Home Affairs.
