Retired Indian Army personnel arrested in Delhi for alleged LeT ties

NEW DELHI — The Delhi Police on Tuesday said that they arrested an operative of the Lashkar-e-Taiba who is wanted in Jammu and Kashmir.

The alleged operative is a retired Indian Army personnel who is wanted for his involvement in a recently busted militant module in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kupwara district.

Police said that the LeT operative, identified as Riyaz Ahmed, was arrested at the New Delhi railway station.

“Riyaz Ahmed was involved in hatching a conspiracy along with one Khursheed Ahmed and Ghulam Sarvar in receiving arms and ammunition from across the LoC,” K P S Malhotra, DCP (Railways), said.

“The Jammu and Kashmir Police had recently busted a LeT module in Kupwara, arresting five persons linked to it and seized several incriminating materials from their possession along with arms and ammunition,” Malhotra said.

Malhotra said the arms and ammunition were sent by Pak-based LeT handlers Manzoor Ahmed Sheikh and Qazi Mohammad Khushal.

“Last week, we received information from investigating agencies in Jammu and Kashmir that Riyaz is arriving in Delhi. We formed a team and caught Ahmed while he was trying to escape from Gate Number 1 at the New Delhi Railway Station,” said Malhotra.

During interrogation, Ahmed reportedly told the police that he and his friend Altaf, who too is a retired Army officer, had boarded the Mahakaushal Express from Jabalpur and reached Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station around 3 pm on Friday, February 3.

“From there, Ahmed took an auto and reached New Delhi Railway Station on Sunday. Ahmed was heading to a hideout,” said Malhotra.

Both Ahmed and Altaf retired from the Indian Army on January 31, the DCP said.