- Arrest of nine terrorists linked to Munna Jhingada highlights terror threats in India
- Terrorists planned attacks on nuclear, transport, and power installations in major cities
- Munna Jhingada is Dawood Ibrahim's close aide and key handler of terror modules from Pakistan
The arrest of nine terrorists who were planning attacks in Delhi, Mumbai, and other parts of the country has put a big focus on the role of Munna Jhingada - the right-hand man of fugitive don Dawood Ibrahim. Jhingada was among the key handlers of the terror module that had links to Pakistan's ISI.
The Delhi Police Special Cell, which arrested the terrorists, said the men were tasked to attack "vital installations and security personnel". Nuclear facilities, airports, railway stations, and power plants were on their list, sources told NDTV. The cops have recovered a large quantity of ammunition and weapons from their possession.
According to the police, the terrorists were planning attacks at the behest of four main handlers of the module - Munna Zingada, Dilawar Khan, Shahzad Bhatti, and Amir Jatt. All of them are currently based in Pakistan, sources said.
Who is Munna Jhingada
Munna Jhingada, alias Syed Mudassar Hussain, is a dreaded shooter accused of planning a major terrorist attack in India.
Originally a resident of Mumbai's Jogeshwari area, Jhingada had worked for both Dawood and his close aide, Chhota Shakeel, for a long time. According to sources, Dawood had such confidence in Jhingada's shooting skills that he frequently used him to eliminate his arch-rivals. He was even given the responsibility of attacking gangster Arun Gawli.
Jhingada is said to hold many secrets of Dawood and Pakistan's intelligence agency, the ISI.
In 1997, Dawood reportedly invited Jhingada to Pakistan via Nepal, following which he settled in Karachi and worked within the D-company network.
Later in 2000, Dawood reportedly sent Jhingada to Bangkok on a fake Pakistani passport - with the name Mohammed Salim - to attack Chhota Rajan. While Rajan survived the shootout, his close associate Rohit Verma died. Immediately after the attack, the Thai police arrested Jhingada.
The gangster was sentenced by the court and remained imprisoned in a high-security prison in Bangkok for several years. India, over the years, argued that Jhingada was an Indian citizen and should be extradited to India because of several serious cases registered against him. He has over 70 cases registered against him in Mumbai for murder, extortion, gang warfare, and numerous other serious crimes.
Pakistan, on the other hand, claimed that he was a Pakistani citizen named Mohammad Salim (the name mentioned on his fake passport).
Both countries presented their evidence in the Bangkok court, with Indian agencies even presenting documents related to his family and DNA evidence. India was initially successful in the lower court in Bangkok, which recognised Jhingada as an Indian citizen. However, Pakistan later challenged the decision. A lengthy hearing took place in the appeals court in Bangkok, and the case was ultimately overturned.
The Thai court later recognised Munna as a Pakistani citizen.
In 2019, people associated with ISI and the D-company fled Jhingada to Karachi - where he has been staying and operating terror modules.
