JeM militants held from UP admit to recruiting youths in terror outfit

The two alleged Jaish-e-Mohammad militants arrested from Deoband in Saharanpur last month have confessed to recruiting several youths in their terror outfit, said ATS officials Tuesday. The duo, Kulgam resident Shahnawaz Teli and Aquib Ahmad Malik from Pulwama made this confession during their custodial interrogation by Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terror Squad sleuths, they said.

The two were remanded in judicial custody Tuesday by an anti-terror court here and sent to Lucknow jail at the end of their police custody, they said. During the investigation, the ATS found evidence of their links with several dreaded terrorists of the Jaish-e-Mohammad and Hizbul Mujahideen, sources said.

During the probe, it was also revealed that a dreaded JeM militant often visited them in Deoband, the sources said. Important information about their activities was found through data extraction of their Whatsapp group chat, the ATS sources said, adding the sleuths are examining the antecedents of some persons whose names cropped up as duo's contacts during the probe.

The sources said the ATS would get in touch with the youths who had been contacted by the duo for recruitment as JeM militants and take further actions as per law. When arrested, Teli and Malik, both in their early twenties, were residing in Deoband posing as students without taking admission.

ATS had been tipped off about them by an alert student after which they were put under surveillance and later arrested, sources said. The two were found in possession of a .32 bore pistol with some live cartridges, besides several incriminating documents, including 'jehadi' chats, videos and photos, at the time of their arrest.