Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) arrested four people, including a minor, for allegedly plotting to target a member of the police or Army in Lucknow on the instructions of a Pakistan-based handler, officials said on Wednesday. The suspects were said to be linked to the banned Shahzad Bhatti Network (SBN).The arrests were made in Lucknow on Friday. The accused were identified as Gagandeep Singh (26), Rajat Kumar (19) and Krish (21), all residents of Punjab, along with a minor also from the state. A pistol and 20 cartridges were recovered from their possession, the ATS said.ADG (law and order) Amitabh Yash said intelligence inputs indicated that some youths from Punjab associated with the banned network were planning an attack on a police or military establishment in India. Investigators alleged that Gagandeep Singh and his associates were in touch with a Pakistan-based handler identified as “Rana Bhai”, who directed them to carry out an attack in Lucknow.During interrogation, the accused allegedly told investigators they were tasked with killing a member of the Army or police and recording the assault on video to send to their handler. Police said the group left Amritsar on Oct 27, travelled via Delhi and reached Lucknow around midnight on Oct 29, communicating with Rana Bhai through Instagram and WhatsApp.The ATS alleged the handler transferred Rs 2,585 for travel and later sent another Rs 2,500 in two instalments for expenses, while promising Rs 3 lakh after the targeted killing. Investigators claimed the suspects were told weapons had been routed from Pakistan and would be provided by a local associate in Lucknow, from whom they allegedly received the pistol and cartridges.The handler directed them to travel to Nepal after the attack to evade arrest. The ATS said the suspects recorded and sent a video of Lucknow railway station and that a preliminary scan of their phones found suspicious chats, videos and WhatsApp accounts activated using virtual numbers linked to foreign numbers. Police also claimed to have found digital material suggesting reconnaissance of sensitive sites and sharing of locations with the handler.An FIR has been registered at the ATS police station in Lucknow.
