Delhi Police Arrest Key LeT Handler Shabir Ahmed Lone in Metro Poster Terror Case
NEW DELHI, March 30, 2026 — The Special Cell of the Delhi Police has successfully apprehended Shabir Ahmed Lone, a suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative and the alleged mastermind behind a cross-border terror module.
Lone, a native of Jammu and Kashmir who was reportedly operating out of Bangladesh, is identified as the primary handler of a “highly radicalized” cell that came to light following the provocative “Metro Poster Case” earlier this year.
His arrest marks a significant breakthrough in a multi-state counter-terror investigation that began in February after pro-Pakistan and pro-terrorist slogans were discovered across several high-profile locations in the national capital.
The investigation was triggered on February 8, when the CISF reported the discovery of posters glorifying slain terrorist Burhan Wani and carrying separatist slogans at the Janpath and Supreme Court Metro stations.
The posters, which featured phrases such as “India Stop Genocide & Free Kashmir” and “Hum Pakistani Hain, Pakistan Hamara Hai,” led to an FIR under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Delhi Prevention of Defacement of Property (DPDP) Act.
Given the sensitive nature of the content and its implications for national security, the case was immediately transferred to the Special Cell for a deeper probe into the network responsible for the propaganda.
Prior to Lone’s capture, the Delhi Police had dismantled a larger network of eight operatives, most of whom were Bangladeshi nationals residing in India under forged identities.
Arrests were made during coordinated raids in Kolkata and Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu, between February 15 and February 21. Among those detained was Umar Faruk, a West Bengal resident who reportedly came into contact with Lone in March 2025.
Interrogations revealed that Lone had allegedly indoctrinated Faruk to lead LeT operations within India, specifically tasking the group with conducting reconnaissance on vital installations and submitting video assessments for potential strikes.(HT)