Pune: The Special Cell of the Delhi Police has arrested Rizwan Ali, a terrorist affiliated with the ISIS module, in a major operation just ahead of August 15.

Rizwan, a resident of Daryaganj in Delhi, had been declared wanted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which had also announced a bounty of ₹3 lakh for his capture. Rizwan and his associates had been involved in scouting several VIP areas in Delhi, raising security concerns.

Rizwan was notorious for his involvement in the Pune ISIS module, a group that had already seen several of its members arrested by the Pune Police and the NIA.

Rizwan had managed to evade capture for a significant period, during which time he and his accomplices also surveyed multiple VVIP locations in both Delhi and Mumbai.

Authorities suspect that Rizwan was planning a major terrorist attack in Delhi before August 15, but the swift action of the Delhi Police's Special Cell thwarted his plans.

This arrest is part of ongoing efforts to dismantle terrorist networks; the Special Cell had previously apprehended several terrorists in October 2023.

Rizwan had been detained by the Delhi Police in 2018 for questioning but was released at that time.

Pune city has long been a logistical hub for suspects involved in acts of terrorism. The Mumbai Police Crime Branch had earlier busted the Indian Mujahideen terrorist organization modules from Kondhwa area of Pune city.