Links to Pakistan revealed in Ghaziabad police outpost explosion

The investigation into the explosion that occurred at the Vasundhara police outpost in Ghaziabad on Friday night has now reached an international level, touching a terrorist network based in Pakistan. According to a report by Amar Ujala, the preliminary investigation by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has revealed that the organisation named 'Tahreek-ul-Mujahideen Hindustan' is working on the directions of Pakistani terrorist Shahzad Bhatti. Investigative agencies are also seriously examining the role of Pakistan's intelligence agency, ISI, in funding this matter.

The investigation has revealed that this terrorist organisation, formed in late 2023, has misled several youths from Kashmir and brought them into its fold. During the investigation of the blast site, agencies suspect that potassium chlorate was used in the incident. Following this serious incident, teams from the NIA, along with the Intelligence Bureau (IB), Uttar Pradesh ATS, STF, and local police, are jointly engaged in collecting evidence. All these agencies are investigating which local individuals assisted these terrorists and who was actively involved in this conspiracy.

Shahzad Bhatti's name came to light this year when 25 people were arrested in the Kaushambi police station area on charges of spying for Pakistan. The investigation revealed that Shahzad used his network to install CCTV cameras at sensitive locations such as railway stations to send information about activities there to Pakistan. A case was previously registered against Shahzad Bhatti at the Indirapuram police station. BJP leader and lawyer Nazia Ilahi Khan had filed a complaint against Shahzad, in which he had been threatened with 'Sar tan se juda'. Following the explosion at the Vasundhara outpost, agencies are progressing with the investigation by linking this old case, the spying gang, and local suspicious contacts.

Agencies are facing difficulties in collecting technical evidence. No footage could be obtained from the municipal corporation's CCTV cameras installed on Shriram Setu as they were non-functional. In this situation, investigators are using traffic police cameras to monitor activities around the site of the incident. Agencies are constantly striving to find the movement of suspicious persons and important evidence related to the incident. Currently, the main objective of the investigation is to confirm the materials used in the explosion, the individuals who carried out the incident, and their contacts based in Pakistan.

Regarding this matter, Ghaziabad Additional Commissioner Raj Karan Nayyar stated that the Ghaziabad police, state agencies, and central agencies are conducting a thorough investigation into all aspects of the case. The Pakistan connection angle has also been included in the investigation, and a major revelation is expected soon. Agencies are working to expose this entire network based on technical evidence, CCTV footage, and other available inputs. This incident has put security agencies on alert, and efforts have been intensified to reach the roots of terrorist activities at the local level.