UP, Guj ATS squads foil terror plot to mix poison in temples’ ‘prasad’ and target RSS offices in states

Lucknow: The Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) of Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat foiled a suspected biochemical terror plot with the arrest of three people in Gujarat on Nov 9.The arrested accused have been identified as Azad Suleman Sheikh of Shamli district, Mohammad Suhail Saleem Khan of Lakhimpur Kheri, and Ahmed Mohiyuddin Saiyed, a doctor from Hyderabad with an MBBS degree from China.According to sources privy to the investigation, teams from the UP ATS were sent to Gujarat for the interrogation of suspects. Preliminary questioning on Wednesday revealed that the accused men were allegedly preparing deadly poison ‘ricin' with the intention to mix it with ‘prasad' to cause mass casualties.The accused had conducted reconnaissance of temples in Lucknow and Delhi, along with RSS offices, as potential targets. Azad and Suhail were radicalised online and were given video training through mobile applications. Sources said that gadgets recovered from the suspects had videos of the places in UP, as well as in Delhi and Ahmedabad. UP ATS is now hunting for other members of the module.Investigations revealed that Azad and Suhail received arms from Pakistan via drones and were acting under the direction of an Afghanistan-based handler linked to the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP).Gujarat ATS first arrested Ahmed Mohiyuddin Saiyed from near Adalaj toll plaza on the Ahmedabad-Mehsana Road. Police recovered two Glock pistols, one Beretta pistol, 30 live cartridges, and about 4 litres of castor oil – a key ingredient used in preparing poison – from his possession. Following technical analysis of Saiyed's mobile data, another ATS team arrested Azad Suleman Sheikh and Mohammad Suhail Saleem Khan. Both confessed to providing the firearms to Saiyed and helping him in anti-national activities.ATS officials said the trio acted on the instructions of Abu Khadija, an ISKP operative in Afghanistan. The investigation indicates a wider transnational network involving Pakistani intermediaries coordinating the cross-border movement of weapons through drones. A case was registered at the ATS police station under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and Arms Act against Saiyed, Sheikh, Khan, and Abu Khadija, who is on the run.Saiyed has been remanded in police custody till Nov 17, while others are being interrogated to identify further links in the chain.