The National Investigation Agency (NIA) made another arrest from Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh, in connection with its probe against an Islamic State-inspired group that was busted last month.
The NIA had claimed that the group was allegedly planning suicide attacks and serial blasts, targeting politicians and government installations, in Delhi and other parts of north India.
The NIA also conducted fresh searches on Saturday at three locations in Meerut, Hapur and Ghaziabad, in connection with the latest arrest.
An NIA spokesperson said Muhammad Absar, 24, was arrested from Hapur on Friday night. With the latest arrest, the NIA has nabbed 12 people so far in this connection.
The spokesperson said Absar was a resident of Jasora in the Meerut district of Uttar Pradesh and used to teach at Jamia Husania Abul Hassan in the Piplera area of Ghaziabad.
Absar, the spokesperson said, had “visited three places in Jammu & Kashmir in the months of May and August 2018, along with another accused, Iftekar Sakib, in connection with the terror conspiracy.”
The official said Iftekar and Absar had visited three places — Tral, Bandipora and Rajouri in J&K — between May and August last year. “While two of his visits to Bandipora and Rajouri were for religious purposes, during the visit to Tral they met a mufti (religious leader) and requested to be put in touch with a mujahid (‘fighter’),” the NIA said.