Who was Abdul Rahman? Ram Temple attack plot accused who lived under fake identity, arrested with grenades, killed in Faridabad jail

GURGAON: Abdul Rahman, a 20-year-old terror accused arrested for allegedly plotting an attack on Ram Temple in Ayodhya, was killed inside Faridabad district jail early on Monday after another inmate attacked him with a sharp-edged object.

Rahman was assaulted around 2am while he was asleep, allegedly by Arun Chaudhary, a Kashmiri youth lodged in the same prison. Police said Chaudhary struck Rahman repeatedly on the head, leaving him critically injured. Jail staff provided him first aid, but he died before he could be taken to hospital.


ACP Ashok Kumar said police received a letter from jail authorities about the alleged murder. "Arun Chaudhary attacked Rahman while he was sleeping around 2am. We have registered a murder case against him. The jail authorities initially gave the victim first aid, but he died. His body was sent to the mortuary of BK Civil Hospital for an autopsy," he added.

Kumar said Chaudhary would be taken into police custody on a production warrant as local cops are not authorised to interrogate an accused on jail premises. "Once we take him into custody, we will ascertain the exact reason behind their tussle and murder. Rahman's family has been informed. The autopsy will be conducted after they arrive in Faridabad. A judicial probe was already launched in the case in keeping with protocol," he added. Chaudhary was shifted from a Jammu jail to Faridabad in Oct 2024, police said. He has eight cases against him, including trespassing, attempted murder and murder.

Rahman, a resident of Milkipur in UP's Faizabad district, was arrested on March 2, 2025, near Pali village in Faridabad during a joint operation by Gujarat ATS and Haryana STF. Two hand grenades recovered from him were later defused by bomb disposal squads.

Rahman, according to cops, was staying in Faridabad under a fake identity and blended into the local community by working as an autorickshaw driver and at a small eatery. He stayed at a secluded pump house on the city's outskirts.

Security agencies had flagged him as a key operative tasked with reconnaissance of sensitive locations, including the Ram Temple in Ayodhya and administrative buildings in the state. Digital devices seized during his arrest allegedly contained videos and material linked to the temple, along with instructions and details of the planned attack.

Officials had earlier said the grenades found with Rahman had been sourced through handlers linked to Pakistan's ISI via networks associated with Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP).

Though no date was fixed, agencies assessed that the planned strike was intended at triggering mass casualties and panic. This prompted a coordinated probe by central and state agencies to identify sleeper cells, local facilitators and logistical support.

Police said prison security arrangements were also being reviewed after Rahman's killing, and inmates and staff questioned to establish the sequence of events leading to the attack.