Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Eight suspects with alleged links to Pakistan’s ISI and Bangladesh-based extremist groups have been arrested in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, amid intelligence alerts warning of a possible terror plot targeting Delhi’s Red Fort and prominent temples.According to Delhi Police, six of the accused were picked up from different locations in Tamil Nadu, including Uthukuli, Palladam and Thirumuruganpoondi, while two others were held in West Bengal during follow-up action, as reported by news agency ANI. Some of those arrested are suspected to be Bangladeshi nationals. All are being brought to Delhi for further interrogation.
Police said the operation was launched following specific intelligence inputs about a module allegedly planning subversive activities across the country. “Dozens of mobile phones and SIM cards have been recovered,” a police source said, adding that the digital material is being analysed to trace the wider network and possible foreign handlers.Investigators believe the group was in contact through social media and had allegedly posted content supportive of Pakistan-based terror outfits. Four of the accused are said to have travelled to Delhi earlier, where they pasted “Free Kashmir” posters at a metro station during an international summit before returning to Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.During searches, officers recovered eight mobile phones and 16 SIM cards from the Tamil Nadu locations alone. Police said some of the suspects were working in the garment industry while allegedly using fake Aadhaar cards to conceal their identities.
Red Fort and temples on alert
The arrests come days after security agencies issued a high alert in the national capital following inputs suggesting that the Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) had kept key religious sites on its radar. Areas around the Red Fort and parts of Chandni Chowk were identified as sensitive zones.Sources, cited by ANI indicated that a temple in the Chandni Chowk area could be a potential target and that the group may be plotting an improvised explosive device (IED) attack. The alleged plan is believed to be linked to attempts to avenge a February 6 mosque blast in Islamabad.Security has since been tightened across major religious and heritage sites in Delhi. CCTV surveillance has been intensified, vehicle checks increased, and bomb disposal squads and dog units deployed at strategic locations.The alert follows the deadly car explosion near the Red Fort in November 2025 that left at least 13 people dead and more than 20 injured.
