Ajmer: The Intelligence Bureau, in collaboration with the local police, conducted a search at the residence of 30-year-old Ali Akbar, also known as Babu, here Sunday. The operation came a day after his arrest in Ambala, Haryana, in connection with an alleged terrorist conspiracy tied to Pakistan-based terrorist Shahzad Bhatti.Akbar, arrested alongside two others, was allegedly found in possession of 3-kg of explosives intended for attacks at multiple locations in the country, including Hanumangarh in Rajasthan. Law enforcement officials seized various papers and personal belongings from Akbar’s home in Longia Mohalla, located in the Dargah area of Ajmer. Following the news of his arrest, Akbar’s family expressed their devastation. As his elder brother, Ali Asgar, recounted the last conversation he had with his sibling on March 8, he revealed a sense of betrayal and confusion. “Akbar said he was going to Delhi on the morning of March 8, claiming he would first visit Jaipur to meet friends. After lending him Rs 1000, I didn’t hear from him until I learned through the news about his arrest,” Asgar said. The emotional toll on the family was evident as Asgar described the harsh reality of their situation. “He has left us nowhere. Now, as we try to move on, what face will we show? That my brother, or the father of these children, is labelled a terrorist? Our father was a labourer who worked tirelessly to raise us, and I am also putting in hard work. But now, we can no longer show our faces in the society,” Asgar said, wiping his tears.Akbar, married in 2020 and a father of two, lived with his family, including his brother and their respective families, in a modest three-room house. As police probe deeper into the case, they are scrutinising Akbar’s social circle, investigating friends, movements, and potential connections to sleeper cells involved in terrorism. Local police have verified that Akbar has a prior criminal record, having been arrested four years ago for allegedly intimidation against a guest house owner in the Ganj police station area. For the last three years, Akbar had been earning a living as an e-rickshaw driver, a job he secured through a loan, which he struggled to repay. His earlier employment involved working at the Ajmer railway station’s parking area, where witnesses reported that he frequently exhibited signs of financial distress. A local police official confirmed the district police’s role in the investigation, saying, “We are simply aiding the investigating agency to collect evidence and gather details to assist in their inquiries.”
