NIA arrests al-Qaeda operative for conspiracy to conduct blast in Lucknow

Tawheed Ahmad Shah, a resident of Jammu and Kashmir's Budgam district, was arrested on Monday, an NIA official said on Tuesday.

Lucknow: The NIA has arrested an al-Qaeda operative for his alleged involvement in a conspiracy to carry out an IED blast here, an official said on Tuesday. Tawheed Ahmad Shah, a resident of Jammu and Kashmir's Budgam district, was arrested on Monday, the official of the premier investigation agency said.

The case was registered by the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) in July last year in Gomtinagar police station against the accused who had entered into a conspiracy for recruiting members for the global terrorist organisation al-Qaeda's affiliate Ansaar Gajwatul Hind (AGH) and for committing terrorist acts in Lucknow, the NIA official said.

Earlier, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had arrested five accused in the case against whom a charges sheet was filed last month. Tawheed was the mastermind of the conspiracy for recruitment and to commit terrorist acts in the name of AGH, including procurement of arms, ammunition and explosive materials to be used for attacks in Uttar Pradesh, the NIA official said, adding that further investigation in the case continues.

PTI