Bhavika Jain, Pune
A reward of Rs 3 lakh each for information leading to the apprehension of four individuals allegedly involved in the “Pune ISIS module case” has been issued by The National Investigation Agency (NIA).
The suspects have been identified as Mohammed Shahnawaz Shafiuzzama Alam alias Shafi alias Abdulla (from Jharkhand), Talha Liyakat Khan (from Pune), Rizwan Abdul Haji Ali and Abdulla Faiyaz Shaikh alias Daiperwala (both from Delhi). NIA has appealed to citizens to provide information about the three absconding suspects to their head office or Mumbai office, assuring the confidentiality of informant’s identities.
The case unfolded when Alam, along with Khan and Saki, were captured by Pune city police in July 2022 while attempting to steal a vehicle in Kothrud. However, Alam managed to escape from police custody during a house search in Kondhwa. Initially facing charges under the Indian Penal Code and the Indian Arms Act, the investigation revealed that Khan and Saki were also “most wanted” by the NIA in connection with the recovery of explosives from a car in Rajasthan in March 2022.
Under the disguise of ‘graphic designers’, the trio had been residing in an apartment within the Chetna Garden society in Mitha Nagar, Kondhwa, Pune. Following this discovery, the Maharashtra ATS took over the case and invoked the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act against Khan, Saki, and other suspects for their alleged involvement in terrorist activities.
Furthermore, the NIA claimed that the arrested individuals had conducted bomb workshops in Pune, including creating a demonstration improvised explosive device and conducting controlled explosions in Kondhwa. Seized materials included explosives, tents, a drone, and various electronic devices.
Additional investigations revealed that Rizwan and Abdulla Shaikh were residing in the same Chetna Garden society. The NIA subsequently named them, along with Talha Khan, as accused in the “Pune ISIS module case”. Khan’s residence in Mitha Nagar, Kondhwa, was searched in connection with the arrest of a Kashmiri couple with alleged links to the Islamic State-Khorasan Province (IS-KP).
While Talha Khan had not been arrested by the NIA at that time, incriminating documents and digital devices were seized during the search at his residence. Currently, Talha Khan is on the run, and the NIA has appealed to citizens to provide information, if any, about him and the three other absconding suspects.