INDIA: Police Say 20-Year-Old Arrested Over Alleged Surveillance of Mumbai Chabad House
Indian police say a Navi Mumbai man photographed and shared information about Chabad House and other sensitive locations for overseas handlers. Kerala police took him into custody in a separate investigation.
Indian authorities say a 20-year-old man was arrested after allegedly conducting reconnaissance of Mumbai's Chabad House and other sensitive locations on instructions from overseas social media handlers.
Yash Singh, a resident of Airoli in Navi Mumbai, was initially detained by Maharashtra's Anti-Terrorism Squad, according to officials cited by The Indian Express and PTI. Kerala police subsequently took him into custody in connection with a case under investigation in Thrissur.
An official told PTI that Singh's assignments included photographing and identifying the precise locations of Chabad House, businesses owned by Jewish individuals and places frequented by foreign nationals. The official said he received money for those activities.
The Indian Express reported that an ATS official said the handlers contacted him through Instagram, WhatsApp and Telegram, using foreign telephone numbers. Investigators said they found a link to an accused person in a case registered at the Thrissur East police station under India's Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
The allegations are police accounts in an ongoing investigation. The reports do not establish a conviction or a completed attack.
Chabad House, also known as Nariman House, was among the sites targeted in the November 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.