NEW DELHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has launched a probe into a Pakistan-backed conspiracy to smuggle arms and explosives in India with the aim of carrying out bomb blasts in Delhi, Punjab and other parts of the country, people aware of the developments said.
They said that an ISI operative, identified as Jasvir Chaudhry, was running the terror unit and sent weapons and explosive devices for this plan across the Indo-Pak border via drones in February this year.
The Federal Anti-Terrorism Investigation Agency has registered a case in this matter under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), Explosives Act and Arms Act, on the directions of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
The conspiracy came to light on February 10 when the government’s Special Operations Cell, Amritsar, of Punjab Police, arrested one of the agents, Shubham Kumar, a resident of Sitapur in Uttar Pradesh, and recovered an explosive device packed in a metal box with a remote control, along with a foreign-made pistol and ammunition. Officials said the shipment was dropped across the border using a drone.
An officer said: “Information reveals that this Pakistani agent, Jasvir Chaudhry, and his Indian companions obtained weapons, ammunition and explosive devices as they planned to carry out bombings in Delhi, Punjab and other parts of the country.”
“We are trying to locate the other members of this unit and ascertain the real identity of Jasvir Chaudhary,” the officer added.
The government, in February this year, unveiled India’s first comprehensive national counter-terrorism policy and strategy titled Prahar, which aims to deal with all acts of terrorism and deny terrorists, their financiers and supporters access to money, weapons and safe havens. The seven-stage framework includes prevention of “intelligence-driven” terrorist attacks, rapid joint response by states and central forces, use of the latest technologies, thwarting extremism and youth recruitment, coordination with international partners, community engagement, and pursuit of human rights and rules-based operations.
According to data from the Ministry of Home Affairs, between 2004 and 2014, there were 7,217 terrorist incidents, which decreased to 2,242 incidents from 2014 to 2024. The government asserted that terrorist incidents have declined significantly in Jammu and Kashmir, the Northeast and other regions, and left-wing extremism has been eliminated.
