Meerut: A day after the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) announced the arrest of two terror suspects for allegedly plotting targeted killings of high-profile individuals on the directions of Pakistan-based terrorists, the parents of one of the suspects have firmly refuted the charges, pointing to a serious mistake by the police.
Parents Deny Terror Allegations
The youth's mother, Ritu Chauhan, a medical nurse, told TOI on Friday that her son suffers from serious mental health issues. 'I still bathe him even though he is in his early 20s,' she said. 'My son is in the midst of treatment...he can't even manage his own life... How could he be a terrorist?'
TOI gained access to several hospital documents that confirm the youth suffers from 'conduct disorder' — a serious mental health condition among children and teens characterised by a persistent pattern of aggression, deceitfulness, destruction of property, and severe rule violations.
Hospital records from Max Healthcare, Institute of Neuro Sciences, World Brain Centre Hospital, and Synergy Institute of Medical Sciences clearly mention the neurological disorder the youth had been suffering from since childhood.
In one of the videos accessed by TOI, the youth can be seen on a hospital bed crying to be sent home to his 'mother and father whom he misses a lot.' In another, he promises 'not to bite his parents.' He is also heard saying, 'I'll be a caring son to my mother and father. I will go to school regularly, even to tuition classes, and behave well.'
Police Refuse to Comment
When asked to comment, IG (ATS) Prem Kumar Gautam refused. ADG (law and order) Amitabh Yash said, 'It was only after a thorough investigation that it was established the two men were under the influence of Pak-based terror modules and were transforming into hardcore terrorists.'
Chauhan pointed to the circumstances of her son's arrest as evidence of a 'setup,' noting he was taken from their home wearing only a T-shirt and slippers, yet was later described by officials as a 'pistol-wielding operative.'
Rajneesh Chauhan, the father, a property dealer, remains equally skeptical of police claims regarding his son's 'religious conversion and external ties.' He said their son 'was a homebody who rarely left his room, spending the majority of his time playing online games after recently failing his Class XII exams through an open school.'
He added: 'Just five months ago in November last year, my son ended up in jail for a day for disrespecting the Prophet on social media and now ATS says he's become Hizbullah Ali Khan, a man with terror links.'
While the parents acknowledge his behavioral struggles and academic failures, they maintain that the transition from a troubled, isolated teenager to an 'international terror suspect is an impossible leap.'
On the allegation of conversion, the father said, 'The authorities should show us documented proof of his conversion and alleged activities based on which they are making such false claims.'
Background of the Arrest
In what was termed as a 'major operation' against terrorist activities in the state, UP ATS arrested two persons — identified as a youth with alias Hizbullah from Meerut and Sameer Khan from Noida — on Thursday. The duo allegedly 'held ties with Pakistani spy agency ISI and were in close contact with Pakistani gangsters Shahzad Bhatti and Abid Jat,' according to police.
