Hizbul Mujahideen Terrorist Arrested After 18 Years on the Run
Image Source: ETV Bharat
The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), in collaboration with Moradabad police, arrested a fugitive linked to the Pakistan-based terror group Hizbul Mujahideen. The suspect had been evading authorities for nearly 18 years and had a bounty of ₹25,000 on his head. He had been on Moradabad police’s “most wanted” list since he went into hiding in 2008.
According to an official statement released on Saturday, intelligence reports indicated that the suspect, identified as 52-year-old Ulfat Hussain, was hiding in Fazalabad, Surankote, Poonch district, Jammu and Kashmir. Acting on this information, a joint police operation was launched, leading to his arrest.
SP (Moradabad City) Kumar Ranvijay Singh stated that Ulfat was previously arrested in 2002 along with four others from Moradabad. A significant cache of arms and explosive materials, including an AK-47 rifle, multiple hand grenades, detonators, and 29 kg of explosive materials, was recovered from them. He was charged under Section 307 of the IPC (attempt to murder), Section 25 of the Arms Act, Sections 3/4/5 of the Explosives Act, and the Criminal Law Amendment Act at Katra police station, Moradabad.
After serving five years in Bareilly jail, Ulfat was granted bail in 2008 and subsequently went into hiding. In 2015, the additional chief judicial magistrate of Moradabad issued a permanent warrant for 30 years against him.
Ulfat’s connection with Uttar Pradesh dates back to 1991 when he moved from Jammu and Kashmir to Bareilly for religious studies. He later attended another religious course in Rampur and, in 1995, became a cleric at a mosque in Moradabad. In 1997, he returned to Kashmir, where he began teaching religious texts.
His radicalization reportedly began in 1999 when his father became a sarpanch in their village, which was frequently visited by individuals from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Influenced by them, Ulfat traveled to Fatehpur Takhiala (Nakyal) in PoK, where he allegedly came into contact with Hizbul Mujahideen operatives and received training in terrorism-related activities.
After completing training in arms and explosives, Ulfat was sent to Moradabad in 2000 to execute a planned attack. There, he recruited four local youths—Mohd Taqi, Rizwan Ahmed, Zafar, and Naseem—whom he sent to PoK for training. They later smuggled a significant quantity of arms into India and stored them in a safe house in Ramnagar, Uttarakhand.
However, Moradabad police caught wind of their activities, and in 2002, all five, including Ulfat, were arrested in Moradabad’s Katghar area. The seized weapons were also recovered, according to SP Singh.
Team Profile
- Freelance Journalist
- Aryan Gulati is a dedicated media student based in Meerut with a wealth of experience in various newspapers and media houses. He has numerous published articles and specializes in political and crime news writing, demonstrating a strong commitment to impactful journalism.
Latest entries
English9 March 2025Hizbul Mujahideen Terrorist Arrested After 18 Years on the Run
News9 March 2025Man Critically Injured as ‘Chinese Manjha’ Cuts His Neck in Meerut
News8 March 2025‘A Living Corpse’: Mumbai Man’s Mother Writes Emotional Note After His Death, Blaming His Wife
News8 March 2025Hardeep Singh Puri Outlines the Timeline for The BJP’s New President
