Raees introduced himself as ‘saffron trader’ from J&K to maulana in city

Nagpur: Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) operative Raees Ahmed Shaikh, whom city unit of State Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) took into custody on May 13 from J&K police, had introduced himself as a ‘saffron trader from Jammu and Kashmir’ to a maulana at a city mosque in July last year. He had gone there to settle himself after panicking while filming the Hegdewar Smruti Bhavan at Reshimbagh.
Shaikh, who had come to reccee the RSS headquarters at Mahal and Hegdewar Smruti Bhavan, is learnt to have checked into a hotel at Sitabuldi posing as a trader from Jammu and Kashmir. An autorickshaw driver from Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport had taken him to the hotel.
On the following day, Shaikh had hired an autorickshaw to reach Reshimbagh Chowk after asking the driver to take him near the Hegdewar Smruti Bhavan. It’s learnt he had told the driver that he wanted to reach Reshimbagh in connection with his trade.
After failing to collect proper footage of the Hegdewar Bhavan premises, Shaikh had a bitter wordy duel with his Pakistan-based handler Omar on WhatsApp call. Omar repeatedly asked him to return to collect better pictures but Shaikh had become unnerved on seeing the heavy security.
A jittery Shaikh had switched off his mobile data and boarded another autorickshaw. He asked the driver to take him to a mosque for prayers. The rickshaw driver had taken him to a mosque near Nagpur railway station, where Shaikh requested the maulana to help him recover from uneasiness, and again posed as a trader dealing in saffron. The maulana had given him a ‘tabeez’ or talisman too.
It’s learnt the ATS had taken Shaikh to Hegdewar Smruti Bhavan area to show from where he filmed the place. The ATS is also trying to recover chats and call details of the conversations between Shaikh and Omar from WhatsApp. Sources also claimed Shaikh had only spoken once with Omar through his friend after returning from Nagpur, and was scolded for failing in his mission.
Shaikh also blamed Omar for not providing him local support and leaving him alone to conduct the operation in an unknown city, which was the first such assignment in his life.