Mumbai terror plot allegedly linked to Bandra demolition drive foiled, 8 arrested

The Special Cell of Delhi Police has arrested eight suspects, including a Nepali national, for allegedly plotting terror attacks in Mumbai and other parts of the country, with investigators claiming the conspiracy had links to Pakistan-based handlers and organised crime networks.

According to investigators, the suspects were allegedly planning attacks on police personnel, security establishments, defence installations and other sensitive locations in cities including Delhi and Mumbai.

Among those arrested are Sajid Mehboob Sheikh alias Arbaaz Khan, a resident of Kurla in Mumbai, and Tauqir Rizwan Sheikh from Mumbra in neighbouring Thane district.

Police sources said the arrests followed specific intelligence inputs regarding an alleged terror conspiracy. Investigators suspect that operatives linked to Pakistan's intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), and members of an underworld network were involved in planning the attacks.

The probe is also examining the alleged role of foreign-based handlers, including individuals identified as Shehzad Bhatti and Yawar Khan, along with other suspected masterminds operating from abroad.

According to investigators, the conspiracy was allegedly planned in Mumbai with logistical and financial support from overseas handlers.

The Special Cell has reportedly recovered digital evidence from the accused, including photographs and videos of several locations in Mumbai. Officials said the material suggests that reconnaissance of potential targets had been carried out.

Investigators have also obtained communication records and chats allegedly exchanged between the suspects and their foreign-based handlers. These communications are being examined as part of the ongoing investigation.

Police said the accused had allegedly conducted surveillance in the Garib Nagar area of Bandra East and shared photographs and videos of police personnel deployed in the locality with their handlers.

Following the arrests, Mumbai Police and the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) have heightened security across the city and intensified monitoring of sensitive locations.

Investigators are also probing whether the suspects received local assistance, including accommodation, logistical support or other forms of aid. Authorities are examining possible links to sleeper cells and local support networks.

The alleged conspiracy is believed to have emerged in the aftermath of a major anti-encroachment drive conducted by Western Railway in May, during which more than 500 structures were removed from land along railway tracks in Bandra East.

The demolition operation had triggered protests and clashes, with police reporting incidents of stone-pelting by sections of the crowd. An illegally constructed religious structure was among the properties removed during the drive.