Mumbai ATS arrests 20-year-old for conducting recce of 26/11 target Nariman House

A 20-year-old man has been arrested in Navi Mumbai for allegedly conducting surveillance of sensitive locations in Mumbai, including Chabad House in Colaba, which was among the targets of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.

The accused, identified as Yash Singh, allegedly gathered photographs, vehicle details and location information about Jewish citizens, foreign nationals and their businesses in the city. Police suspect he was carrying out these activities on the instructions of handlers based abroad and sharing the collected information with them.

Singh, who lives in Airoli, was arrested by the Navi Mumbai Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) after it received information about his suspected links with international criminal networks through social media.

During the investigation, officials found a possible connection between his activities and a case registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in Thrissur, Kerala. A team from Kerala Police subsequently travelled to Navi Mumbai and arrested him after examining the alleged links.

According to the police, Singh had been assigned to conduct reconnaissance of sensitive places, particularly Chabad House, also known as Nariman House, in Colaba. He was allegedly asked to collect photographs, vehicle information and precise geographical details of Jewish nationals, their establishments and foreign citizens living or running businesses in Mumbai.

The Navi Mumbai ATS said criminal networks allegedly linked to Pakistani terrorist Shahzad Bhatti’s crime syndicate were using platforms such as Telegram, Instagram and WhatsApp to approach unemployed and financially vulnerable young people.

According to the agency, recruits are reportedly offered money to carry out tasks such as monitoring sensitive locations, collecting information and assisting activities connected to alleged terror plots.

Nariman House, which hosts a Chabad-Lubavitch Jewish religious and cultural centre, was one of the locations attacked during the November 2008 Mumbai terror strikes.

Ten terrorists belonging to Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba entered Mumbai by sea and carried out coordinated attacks across the city. The three-day assault killed at least 166 people and left around 300 injured.

At Nariman House, two attackers held residents hostage during a siege. The centre’s Rabbi, Gavriel Holtzberg, and his pregnant wife, Rivka, were among those killed. Two other Israelis, an American and a Mexican were also killed there.

Their two-year-old son, Moshe, survived after being rescued by his Indian nanny, Sandra Samuels. He was later taken to Israel with her.