Maharashtra: ATS Reveals Identity Of 32-Year-Old Arrested For Sheltering Terrorists Scheming Blasts In Pune, Kolhapur & Satara

A day after the state Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested a 32-year-old man for allegedly providing financial support and shelter to the recently arrested terrorists who were planning a series of bomb blasts in the jungles near Pune, Kolhapur and Satara districts, the agency on Friday revealed the identity of the arrested accused.

Abdul Qadir Dastgir Pathan, a resident of Kondhwa, runs a graphic design business and hired the earlier arrested accused – Yusuf Khan, 23, and Yakub Saki, 24 – at monthly wages of ₹8,000 each. Khan and Saki were arrested while attempting to steal a two-wheeler. The arrest led to the seizure of crucial evidence, including a tent, drones, white powder, a leather pouch containing a pistol and cartridges.

Khan and Saki were absconding accused in a Jaipur blast case

Investigations revealed that Pathan rented out a room owned by Anwar Ali Idris in Chetna Garden and collected ₹3,500 as rent from both of them. Meanwhile, the agency is intensifying efforts to track down individuals and institutions involved in providing financial support to these terror suspects.

Khan and Saki were named as absconding accused in a Jaipur blast case; they allegedly fled to Bhendi Bazaar in March 2022 after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) registered a case against them. To evade arrest, they sought refuge in a mosque in the Kausar Baug area of Pune before being introduced to Pathan. Initially, they claimed to be in Pune to find a job due to their financial difficulties.