New Delhi: In a major breakthrough, the Delhi Police Special Cell arrested ISIS terrorist Rizwan Ali on Friday, who had been evading capture since escaping from Pune Police custody. During interrogation, Ali revealed that he was planning a terrorist attacj in the national capital and had already conducted controlled explosions in the Yamuna riverfront areas of Jamia and Okhla.
Ali, a resident of Daryaganj in Delhi, was in direct contact with terror commander Faratullah Gori and had received training in controlled IED blasts in Pune. He had been hiding in various cities in Maharashtra and Gujarat while on the run and was in constant touch with Gori.
Delhi Police crackdown
The Delhi Police recovered a pistol, three live cartridges and two cellphones from Ali, who was arrested from Ganga Baksh Marg near Biodiversity Park at around 11 pm. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had placed a bounty of Rs 3 lakh on him and he was on the NIA’s most wanted list.
Ali’s arrest is a significant achievement for the Delhi Police, who had issued a warrant for his arrest. His revelation about planning a blast in Delhi has sent alarm bells ringing and further investigation is underway to uncover the extent of his plans and network.
Who is Rizwan Ali?
Rizwan Ali, an ISIS terrorist, was radicalized through social media in 2015-16. He met Shahnawaz, a student from Jharkhand, in Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh in 2017, and they planned to collect money for Hijrat (migration to a Muslim-majority country). However, Shahnawaz later turned to crime.
In 2018, Rizwan connected with an ISIS handler on social media and began planning terrorist attacks. In 2022, he met Imran and Yunus Saki, and together they started collecting funds for Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). Although Shahnawaz was arrested, Rizwan managed to evade capture and continued to evade the police until his recent arrest.