The quiet town of Nanauta in Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur district was thrown into a stir on Friday when a team of security agencies detained a 38-year-old local man. Investigators allege the man had been in contact with a Pakistani handler and that his activities had been under watch for a considerable time. Soon after the arrest, the team left for Bhopal with the accused in custody.
Operation Began at 4 PM
The operation was led by Bhopal ATS in-charge Rahul Kumar Sharma, who reached Nanauta Kotwali around 4 PM on Friday along with teams from UP ATS and UP STF. There he briefed the local inspector, Gyaneshwar Bauddh, about a suspect. A joint team of local police, ATS and STF then moved to Mohalla Afghanan and arrested Naeem Abdullah, the 38-year-old son of a man named Mustafa.
Social Media Accounts Were Under Surveillance
According to the team in-charge, Naeem Abdullah was linked to a Pakistani handler, and Bhopal ATS had been tracking his internet media account for quite some time. During the action, the team seized mobile phones belonging to the accused and three of his relatives. Three of the phones were returned after being examined, while the accused's own phone was retained for further investigation. The agency claims this device may hold important information.
During the search, several pieces of religious literature and books were also recovered from the accused's room and taken into custody by the team.
Case Tied to an Earlier Bhopal FIR
Sources say Naeem Abdullah had already been named as a co-accused in a case registered earlier in Bhopal, and it was in that connection that his contact with someone in Pakistan had surfaced. The latest arrest was made as part of the same case. The team in-charge added that raids were being conducted simultaneously across several states, so full details were being withheld for now to avoid compromising the operation.
Neighbours Stunned by the Arrest
As word of the sudden raid and arrest spread, panic and curiosity gripped the whole of Nanauta. Local residents said they were shocked by the development. Neighbours described the man as someone who mostly stayed indoors, and said no one had ever seen him chatting with people in the locality. Station in-charge Inspector Gyaneshwar Bauddh confirmed that the Bhopal team, accompanied by UP ATS and STF, had come to Mohalla Afghanan in the town and taken Naeem Abdullah away after arresting him.
