Man arrested for conducting recce of Chabad House in Mumbai
What's the story
A 20-year-old man, Yash Singh, was arrested in Navi Mumbai on Saturday for allegedly conducting reconnaissance of sensitive locations, including the Chabad House in Colaba. The Chabad House is a Jewish religious center and was one of the targets during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. Singh was apprehended by the Navi Mumbai Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) after they received a tip-off about his alleged connections with international criminal networks via social media.
Investigation expansion
Kerala Police involved in investigation
The investigation into Singh's activities soon involved the Kerala Police, as his actions were linked to a case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in Thrissur.
A team of Kerala Police officers traveled to Navi Mumbai after receiving information from the ATS.
According to police, Singh had allegedly been tasked with conducting reconnaissance on sensitive locations in Mumbai, especially focusing on Nariman House in Colaba.
Surveillance assignment
Singh tasked to gather details about Jewish nationals
Singh was allegedly instructed to gather photographs, vehicle details, and precise geographical information about Jewish nationals and their establishments.
The Navi Mumbai ATS said that networks like the one linked to Pakistani terrorist Shahzad Bhatti's crime syndicate are using platforms such as Telegram, Instagram, and WhatsApp to recruit unemployed and financially distressed youth for reconnaissance tasks related to terrorist plots.
Attack recap
Recap of 26/11 attacks
The 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks were carried out by 10 terrorists of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), who entered the city through the Arabian Sea.
The three-day assault left at least 166 people dead and around 300 injured, targeting several prominent locations including Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, Oberoi-Trident hotel complex, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, and Nariman House.
At Nariman House, two attackers took control of the building housing the Chabad-Lubavitch Jewish center and held residents hostage.
Casualty details
Rabbi Holtzberg, his wife killed during attack
Among those killed were the center's Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his pregnant wife Rivka. Two other Israelis, an American, and a Mexican were also killed in the attack.
The couple's two-year-old son Moshe was rescued by his Indian nanny Sandra Samuels and flown to Israel with her days after the attacks.