Delhi Police's 2002 Covert Operation Exposes Lashkar Terror Network
On May 9, 2002, a covert operation by the Delhi Police Special Cell at Nizamuddin railway station resulted in the arrest of three suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operatives, setting off a chain of events that would span decades and cross international borders. Acting on a tip-off from a central intelligence agency about terrorists arriving in the capital, Special Cell teams monitored passengers from the Punjab Mail train from Mumbai.
Interception and Seizure of Explosives
The three suspects, identified as Sajjad, Mehrajuddin, and Firoz, were intercepted at the station. During searches, police recovered approximately 5 kg of RDX, an AK-47 rifle, two pistols, detonators, plastic explosives, and around Rs 2 lakh in cash. This significant haul highlighted the immediate threat posed by the group.
Revelation of Plans and Subsequent Operation
During interrogation, the trio revealed they were supposed to meet two Pakistani Lashkar commanders near Humayun's Tomb. Based on this disclosure, a police team rushed to the area and located a Maruti car parked nearby. Inside were two militants later identified as Abu Bilal and Abu Zabiullah. In the ensuing gunfight, officers from the Special Cell neutralized both terrorists, preventing a potential attack.
Convictions and Incarceration in Tihar Jail
The arrested trio, including Sajjad, later identified as Sheikh Sajjad Gul, were convicted in 2003 and sent to Tihar Jail. In a related development, in July 2007, Special Cell officers apprehended Shabbir Ahmed Lone in Delhi after intelligence inputs indicated a militant was being dispatched to the capital. Lone was found carrying grenades, arms, ammunition, $280, and around Rs 1 lakh in cash. He too was lodged in Tihar Jail, where both he and Sajjad remained incarcerated for nearly a decade.
Release and Escape to Foreign Countries
After completing their sentences, both Sajjad and Lone were released around 2017–2019. Soon after, they allegedly fled India and resurfaced abroad. Security agencies report that Sajjad escaped to Pakistan and later rose to head The Resistance Front (TRF), believed to be a proxy outfit of Lashkar-e-Taiba. Under his leadership, TRF has been linked to several terror strikes, including an attack in Pahalgam.
Establishment of Terror Cells Abroad
Lone, on the other hand, fled to Pakistan and was sent to Bangladesh by Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to set up a terror cell there. Operating from Bangladesh with alleged backing and funding from ISI, Lone is focused on radicalizing Bangladeshi youth for terror plots in India. His activities recently alarmed agencies when his recruits carried out a "test task" in Delhi by pasting provocative posters before an AI summit.
Background and Current Status of Key Figures
Born in 1974 in Jammu and Kashmir, Sajjad pursued higher education, studying science in Srinagar, completing a lab technician course in Kerala, and joining an MBA programme in Bengaluru in the mid-1990s. After returning to Kashmir, he set up a diagnostic centre but reportedly became an overground worker for Lashkar-e-Taiba before joining militant ranks. Security agencies now classify both Sajjad Gul and Shabbir Lone as "Category A" terrorists, with intelligence agencies continuing to track their activities across the region due to their alleged involvement in cross-border terror plots.
