Pune: In a major breakthrough, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has recovered 500 GB of data from the laptops and hard disks of the four suspected terrorists arrested from Pune last week. The data includes pictures of various locations in Mumbai, including the Chabad House, which was one of the targets of the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
The ATS officials said that the data also contains videos of bomb-making techniques, maps of sensitive areas, and propaganda material of banned terror outfits. The officials suspect that the four men were planning to carry out a major attack in Mumbai or Pune, and were in touch with their handlers in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The four men, identified as Mohammad Zahid Khan, Mohammad Parvez Shaikh, Mohammad Irfan Gaus, and Mohammad Jamil Ahmed, were arrested on July 24 from different locations in Pune. They were booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, and the Explosive Substances Act.
The ATS officials said that they are interrogating the suspects to find out more details about their network, their motive, and their targets. They said that they are also coordinating with other agencies to verify the authenticity and source of the data.
The Chabad House, also known as Nariman House, is a Jewish outreach center located in Colaba, Mumbai. It was one of the sites attacked by 10 Pakistani terrorists on November 26, 2008. Six people, including Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his wife Rivka, were killed in the attack. Their two-year-old son Moshe survived and was rescued by his nanny. The Chabad House was reopened in 2014 after extensive renovation.
