New Delhi: “Can we finalise the project?” This question, via the Signal app, would seem innocuous to the uninitiated. It could seem like a query about a business venture, but to the “CEO” and his cohort, it was a coded message that hinted at something ominous. Behind the veil of corporate jargon, a deadly plot was allegedly unfolding. The “project” was a euphemism for an IED attack and targeted killings. The chat group, called “Entrance Interview”, served as a covert platform for the alleged operatives to plan attacks. The members, posing as job candidates and interviewers, exchanged coded messages, the cops said. “I will join the group call at 9 pm,” read one of the messages in the group before the facade crumbled as law enforcement and intelligence agencies uncovered the plot, revealing a complex web of encrypted communication and clandestine operations. The members were a group of young people, each with their distinct profile and background. At the helm was Ashhar Danish, an English (Hons) postgraduate from a college in Ranchi, who belongs to a middle-class family in Bokaro. “Danish’s transformation into a radical ideologue allegedly began in Jan 2024, when he started listening to lectures by a Pakistani cleric, Dr Israr Ahmad. He soon adopted extremist views. He created multiple social media groups, posing as a CEO, professor, and an NGO operator,” said Pramod Kushwaha, additional commissioner of the special cell. Danish, the cops said, had recently bought sulphur. allegedly for making gunpowder. “In Aug, he procured copper plates to manufacture cartridges. He also obtained a bullet and a country-made pistol from Bokaro to use as a prototype for manufacturing arms,” Kushwaha added. Another member was Aaftab Nasir Qureshi, a butcher from Maharashtra’s Kalyan. Delhi Police said that Qureshi’s radicalisation began around 2020, when he started consuming online extremist content, including speeches by preachers such as Zakir Naik, Israr Ahmed and Tariq Masood. “He connected with Danish through social media and became a crucial link. Another suspect, Huzaif Yaman, a 20-year-old B Pharma student, was introduced to Danish through the Omegle platform, and later connected with him on Signal and Instagram,” an officer said. “Danish’s persuasive arguments on perceived atrocities against Muslims in India led Yaman to join the cause. Danish assigned him the task of learning firearm manufacturing,” he added. Sufiyan Abubakar Khan, a welder also from Kalyan, was radicalised by Qureshi, who shared extremist videos and added him to social media groups that promoted jihadist ideologies. Khan’s role was to receive arms from a supplier in Mewat. Kamran Qureshi, alias Samar Khan, a 25-year-old lab assistant and typist from Rajgarh, MP, was introduced to Danish’s radical ideology through a chat group and contributed funds to the cause, the cops said. He was tasked with recruiting members and purchasing land for training activity
