A 29-year-old man has been arrested in Dehradun for having alleged links with a Pakistan-based terror outfit and sharing sensitive information about key security installations with them. The accused has been identified as Vikrant Kashyap, a resident of Jhajhra in the Premnagar area.
He was arrested on April 9 by the Special Task Force (STF) along with local police. The recoveries made from the accused included a .32 bore pistol, seven live cartridges, and a spray paint.
Officials said that the accused was in contact through social media platforms like Instagram and WhatsApp with a Pakistan-based terrorist identified as Shehzadi Bhatti, linked to ‘Al Bark Brigade’, and his associate Rana.
Officials from the STF said that Kashyap was allegedly sharing videos and locations of important government buildings, police stations, and other security installations in Dehradun with the handler.
Reacting to the development, Senior Superintendent of Police (STF) Ajay Singh said specific intelligence inputs were received about Pakistani handlers attempting to recruit Indian youth through social media, using them as sleeper cells for anti-national activities. After arresting the accused, he was interrogated and later revealed that he was influenced by the late Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala and came in contact with the handler after consuming such content online.
Kashyap, according to the STF, was given multiple tasks, including taking photos and videos of key locations such as the Inter-State Bus Terminal, police headquarters, and other government buildings in Dehradun and sharing them.
He was also allegedly instructed to carry out attacks using explosives and weapons and to write “Tehreek-e-Taliban Hindustan (TTH)” on public places.