A day after terror operative Shabbir Ahmed Lone was remanded to police custody, his involvement in terror activities became clearer. Investigators said he was in regular contact with Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba handlers, including Asif Dar and Sumama Babar, and played a key role in planning operations. His module had carried out reconnaissance of major temples and busy commercial hubs in Delhi and other cities, studying security gaps and crowd patterns to identify targets.

Police described Lone as the main conspirator, acting on directions from handlers in Pakistan. The group was also involved in radicalising and recruiting vulnerable youth while testing its operational readiness. Officials said the timely arrest prevented a possible terror attack, and further probes are underway to uncover the wider network and sleeper cells.

Lone, a resident of Kangan in Ganderbal district of Jammu and Kashmir, had limited formal education and later attended a madrasa in Srinagar. He was first drawn into Lashkar activities in the mid-2000s after coming into contact with militants in his area. Over the years, he maintained links with operatives through encrypted apps and helped expand the network.

In 2016, he was arrested in an Arms Act case but later resumed activities, reconnecting with handlers and assisting in recruitment. He was introduced to Sumama Babar, who played a key role in radicalising youth in India, especially in Kashmir. In 2025, Lone was tasked with recruiting individuals from outside Jammu and Kashmir, including Bangladeshis, to carry out attacks.

He later moved to Gurugram and recruited associates, including Umar Farukh. That same year, he crossed into Bangladesh with his family and set up a base in Saidpur, even marrying a local woman to blend in. From there, he coordinated recruitment and distribution of anti-India material sent by handlers. The module expanded across states, recruiting several Bangladeshi nationals and Indian youths. Some recruits in Tamil Nadu were preparing to relocate to a Kolkata-based setup before being arrested by Delhi Police’s Special Cell in February. A Delhi court granted five days’ custody of Lone to police to help uncover the network. Investigators said he was also linked to a cross-border currency network involving Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Nepal, and recovered foreign currencies, a Nepali SIM card, and other items from him.