“Let us take Modi out with a sniper rifle”, ISIS operatives planned to assassinate PM Modi, reveals Gujarat ATS

NewsBharati    11-May-2018
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Gandhinagar, May 11: “Yeah let's take Modi out with a sniper rifle,” said one of the two suspected Islamic State operatives' who were arrested last October from Surat had plans to assassinate Prime Minister Narendra Modi during Gujarat Elections. On Thursday, the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad filed a charge sheet that exposed a sinister plot to assassinate PM Modi. 

On Thursday, a charge sheet filed by the Gujarat ATS revealed a plot by an alleged ISIS operative to assassinate PM Modi by a sniper attack. The charge sheet against Ubed Ahmed Mirza and Mohammad Kasim Stimberwala — both were arrested last October was filed before the chief judicial magistrate at Ankleshwar in Bharuch district.

The assassination plot was revealed after the ATS accessed to a conversation on a messaging app from the cellphone and pen drive of the ISIS suspect, Ubed Mirza.

"Yeah let's take Modi out with a sniper rifle," is a line from a conversation cited in the charge sheet, attributed to an associate of Ubed Ahmed Mirza.

As per a WhatsApp chat between Mirza and his associate, identified only as 'Ferrari', on 10 September 2016, Mirza talked about buying pistols. In response, according to the charge sheet, 'Ferrari' said, "Yeah, let's take (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi out with a sniper rifle Insha-Allah". When 'Ferrari' mentioned a Russian-made gun, Mirza promptly replied, "I want it". In another WhatsApp chat with Ferrari on 26 July, 2016, Mirza was told that Islamic State handlers had asked its modules and lone-wolf attackers in India to use machetes and big chopping knives to target people. Instead of taking the risk of buying guns and assembling explosives, one can target people, "especially foreign citizens", using chopping knives, Ferrari told Mirza.

According to an ATS official, the process to identify the other people who figure in these chats, including 'Ferrari', is underway.

According to the sources, Stimberwala and Mirza have been radicalized by the fundamental ideology of the ISIS for the last many years and were actively planning to cause terrorist acts. The Gujarat ATS after arresting both the operatives claimed that they were plotting an attack on a Jewish synagogue in Khadia area of Ahmedabad in very near future.

ATS claimed Stimberwala and Mirza were in touch with el-Faisal and Armar to plan attacks on Jews in India. They conducted a recce of some of the targets and were planning to send radicalised youths outside India to take part in terrorist acts, the charge sheet said.

Both have been charged under Indian Penal Code sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 121-A (sedition) and 125 (waging war against any Asiatic power in alliance with India), apart from the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.

While Stimberwala used to work as a laboratory technician with a hospital in Ankleshwar town, Mirza is a practising lawyer with the Surat district court and also owns a hotel there. Kasim was planning to abscond to Jamaica after executing the blast. Abdullah el-Faisal, a radical preacher based in Jamaica, and suspected Islamic State handler Shafi Armar have been shown as absconding accused in the charge sheet.