Varanasi: Uttar Pradesh (UP) Anti Terror Squad (ATS) in a joint operation with Military Intelligence (MI) arrested Mohhamd Rashid, an alleged ISI agent passing information to his handlers in Pakistan since March, 2019.
Sources have revealed that in the month of July 2019, MI received an input regarding a youth from Varnasi passing critical information to Pakistani Intelliegnce via whatsapp.
Keeping a track, the agency developed the input through months of discreet surveilance and analysis with support from other Central agencies. In this regard, a joint team of MI and UP ATS was formed to identify the suspect on ground and neutralise him and after weeks of reconnaissance, physical surveillance and questioning of preliminary suspects it emerged that Rashid is the actual individual, who has been passing information to Pakistan.
As per the sources, Rashid was called for questioning on January 16, 2020 and after his initial questioning and examination of his mobile device in subsequent days his involvement with Pakistani intelligence agency was clearly indicated and susequently he was arrested on January 19.
Rashid, who is 23-year-old was staying with his maternal grandfather and uncle in Chandauli, Varanasi district of UP as his parents got divorced and remarried again. His education was till class 8th and later he worked as tailor and in medical shop in Varanasi but he started fixing flexi signboard later for his survival.
Rashid has relatives in Karachi, Pakistan and had visited them twice, in 2017 and 2018-19 to attend some marriage functions.
He used to stay with his aunt Hasina, her husband Shagir Ahmed and their son Shajeb in Orangi Town (one of the largest slum in the world), Karchi where he fell in love with one of his cousin, Anam reportdelly.
In his second visit, his cousin Shajeb introduced him to two ISI/ Pakistani Military Intelligence personnel who introduced themselves as Ashim and Amad.
The ISI cultivated him and tasked to provide Indian numbers for their use on WhatsApp and photos/videos/information on movement and deployment of Indian Army units.
Rashid was also asked to send similar things of sensitive places and protests/rallies sites in India. He was promised of huge money in return of which he agreed to.
He was also lured of getting married to his cousin in Karachi. However, his uncle and aunty in Karachi had warned him of consequences.
On return, Mohd Rashid provided One Time Password (OTP) of two Indian mobile numbers to Ashim and Amad facilitating them in creating two WhatsApp accounts on Indian numbers. These WhatsApp accounts were later used by Pakistani agencies to trap Indian defence personnel.
Apart from providing Indian numbers, he also shared photos and videos of sensitive places.
The list includes Kashi Vishwanath temple - Air Force Selection Board, Gyanvapi Mosque Sankat Mochan temple, Cantt railway station, Dashashwamedh Ghat (in Varanasi, UP), Agra Fort (UP), Naini Bridge and Ardh Kumbh Mela (in Prayagraj/ Allahabad, UP), CRPF camps (in Chandauli and Amethi, UP), Gorakhpur railway station ( UP), Renukoot Thermal Power Plant (Sonbhadra, UP), India Gate in Delhi, Ajmer Sharif (in Rajasthan), Nagpur railway station (in Maharashtra) and others.
Apart from that, he has also sent video and photos of recent protests at Banaras Hindu University (BHU) and anti- CAA/ NRC protests in Lucknow on being asked by his Pakistani handlers. The last known communication of Mohd Rashid with his handlers was on January 13, 2020.
He has received a gift packet containing a T-shirt in Pakistan's nation colours (Green and White) in the month of May 2019 and a payment of Rs 5,000 in the month of July 2019 from Ashim and Amad (the Pakistani intelligence operatives).
Apart from Ashim/Amad he had also spoken to their boss (likely an officer) once in the month of October/November 2019 who asked him to acquire a shop near Army installation in Jodhpur to monitor movements of the latter. He was assured a sum of Rs100,000/- and monthly rental of Rs10,000-15,000/- for the same.
The suspect has been booked under Section 123 (concealing with intent to facilitate design to wage war) of Indian Penal Code (IPC) vide FIR No-001 dt January 19 ,2020 and has been produced before court.
