By: Arvind Jadhav
New Delhi: Saquib Abdul Hamid Nachan, a 67-year-old terror suspect from Padgha on the outskirts of Mumbai, died in a Delhi hospital on Saturday. Nachan was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in December 2023 for his alleged links to the banned Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). He was lodged in Delhi’s Tihar Jail but suffered a stroke and was admitted to the hospital for treatment.
Background of the Case
Nachan was a former office-bearer of the banned Students’ Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and had been linked to various terror outfits. He was convicted in several terror cases, including the 2002-03 Mumbai railway station bomb blasts that killed over ten people. The NIA alleged that Nachan was recruiting Muslim youth to become hardline extremists and had declared Padgha village a “liberated zone.”
Investigation and Arrests
The NIA conducted searches at 44 locations in Maharashtra and Karnataka in December 2023, arresting Nachan and 15 other alleged ISIS members. The agency claimed to have found weapons, cash, and Hamas flags during the searches. Nachan’s lawyer said he had filed an application to shift his client to a facility with specialized treatment, but unfortunately, Nachan passed away on Saturday.
