Lucknow Terror Conspiracy: UP ATS Arrests Three Punjab Youths

LUCKNOW: A suspected cross-border terror operation aimed at creating a security scare in Uttar Pradesh has come under the scanner after the state Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) intercepted a group of four Punjab residents in Lucknow. Three of them have been arrested, while the fourth, a 17-year-old boy, has been detained.

According to the investigating agency, the group had allegedly been recruited by a Pakistan-based operative to attack India’s security personnel or a police installation.

The alleged assignment was not limited to executing the attack: the perpetrators were also expected to film the incident and transmit the recording to their overseas contact.

The ATS believes the alleged operation was designed to generate widespread fear. Investigators have linked the suspected handler, identified as Rana Bhai, to the banned Shahzad Bhatti network.

The arrests have brought three Punjab residents under investigation: Gagandeep Singh, 26, and Rajat Kumar, 19, from Amritsar, and 21-year-old Krish from Gurdaspur.

A minor from Punjab, whose identity has not been disclosed, is the fourth person detained in the case.

The alleged conspiracy came to light after intelligence inputs indicated that individuals from Punjab were reportedly in touch with members of the Shahzad Bhatti network.

Surveillance and subsequent investigation led the ATS to Gagandeep Singh and his companions, whose movements and communications allegedly pointed towards preparations for an attack in Lucknow.

Investigators suspect that the group had already begun collecting information about strategically important locations. The suspects allegedly surveyed sensitive establishments, documented their whereabouts, and passed the details to their foreign contact.

After arriving in the state capital, one of their reported activities was filming the railway station and sharing the footage with Rana Bhai.

The trail of the suspects, according to the ATS, began in Amritsar on October 27. Their journey took them through Delhi before they reached Lucknow late on October 29.

The agency alleges that the trip was undertaken specifically to execute instructions received from their handler.

The financial arrangements and promised rewards have also become an important part of the investigation. Officials said Rana Bhai transferred Rs 2,585 to the group to meet its travelling expenses.

A much larger sum of Rs 3 lakh was allegedly promised as payment for carrying out the intended killing. The suspects were reportedly told to cross into Nepal after completing the operation and disappear to avoid law enforcement agencies.

The investigation has also uncovered an alleged local link in the weapons supply chain. During interrogation, the suspects reportedly told investigators that their overseas contact had arranged for firearms and ammunition to be brought from Pakistan.

A person based in Lucknow was assigned to deliver the consignment, according to their statements.

The ATS recovered a foreign-made pistol and 20 cartridges from the suspects. Officials are now examining the circumstances under which the weapon reached the group and attempting to identify the person who allegedly supplied it.

Digital evidence has emerged as another significant element of the probe. Examination of the seized mobile phones reportedly revealed suspicious conversations and video material.

Investigators also suspect that virtual phone numbers were used to activate WhatsApp accounts, allowing the group to communicate with contacts outside India.

A case has been registered at the Lucknow ATS police station. The agency is preparing to seek police custody of the arrested individuals to question them about their alleged instructions, financial links, and the wider network behind the operation.

Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Amitabh Yash said further interrogation would focus on identifying other members of the suspected network and tracing those involved in arranging weapons and money for the group.

The ATS is now working to determine whether the four suspects were acting independently on instructions from abroad or were part of a wider network with additional local operatives. The investigation is continuing.