"Govt will take strict action against accused for sheltering terrorists": Maharashtra BJP's Nitesh Rane

Jul 28, 2023

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], July 28 : After Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested one person from Pune for 'sheltering suspected terrorists', Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Nitesh Rane on Friday said that these people have "jihadi thinking" and the state government will take strict action against this.
"These activities are done by one religion (Muslim). We saw PFI, ISI and other Terrorist organizations too. These people have Jihadi thinking and the government will take strict action against this. Why is Sanjay Raut not speaking now? Does his blood convert from saffron to green during such incidents?", MLA Rane said.
Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad arrested one person from Pune for giving shelter to two suspected terrorists who were earlier wanted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), informed the police on Thursday.
ATS charged the accused with giving shelter to the suspected terrorists identified as Imran Khan and Yunus Saki in Pune and said that the other accused involved in a similar role was on the run.
"During the investigation of the duo suspects, it was found that they took the help of a person in Pune to make arrangements for their shelter when they arrived in the city. On the information received during the interrogation of the accused, the said person was detained first, and after questioning, he was arrested and booked along with the two suspects," the press release issued by Maharashtra ATS on Thursday said.
Maharashtra ATS further stated that both accused were booked under UAPA charges.
"During the investigation, it was revealed that both were planning to carry out anti-national activities to disturb the unity and safety of the nation and for this, both had taken the training to make bombs and kept the required materials in their possession," an official statement said.
"ATS has recovered a tent from their residence that was planned for future use to have shelter in the jungles. ATS has also recovered a laptop, some Arabic literature, and a shining white powder that was found to be an explosive material. Accused also had a weighing machine, a drone, electronic circuits item soldering machine," it added.
Earlier, both suspected terrorists Imran Khan and Yunus Saki were arrested by Pune city police during a regular combing operation while they were trying to steal a bike from the Kothrud area of the city on July 18 in the early hours.
Pune Police, on patrol, had nabbed the three accused altogether, but somehow one of them managed to run away. ATS has launched a massive hunt for the absconding accused.
Later, the whole case was transferred to the Anti-Terrorism Squad of Maharashtra on July 22, and both were booked under UAPA charges. Both accused were also wanted by the National Investigation Agency in a terrorism plot in Rajasthan and had a bounty of Rs 5 lakh each.