Pune: Three Held In Kondhwa’s Illegal Telecom Exchange Case 

The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has arrested two suspects, Mohammed Ujjair Shaukat Ali Ansari, also known as Sonu (32) from Bhiwandi, Thane, and Piyush Subhashrao Gajbhiye (29), from Devdi tehsil in Wardha. The duo was apprehended from their respective hideouts earlier this week.

Additionally, the ATS secured custody of Naushad Ahmed Siddiqui, alias Kumar (32) from Meethanagar in Kondhwa, who had been arrested in a related case. Siddiqui was handed over to Pune ATS from its Thane counterpart on Tuesday night. All three suspects were presented before the court of judicial magistrate Ms. S.K. Dugaonkar, where they were placed in police custody until September 6.

An ATS-led raid on Siddiqui’s rented flat in Meethanagar on August 24-25 had uncovered an illegal telecom setup. Officers seized SIM boxes, 3,788 SIM cards, routers, and other equipment. During the hearing, assistant public prosecutor Bodhini Shashikala argued that police needed more time to interrogate the suspects, trace the origins of the equipment, and investigate potential revenue losses incurred by the government due to the illegal telecom exchange, which had been running for eight months.

Preliminary findings suggested that Siddiqui had been generating one-time PINs to sell online. The ATS also sought time to explore whether the operation had any links to terrorism or was involved in funding unlawful activities. Gajbhiye, a computer engineering diploma holder, and Ansari, along with Siddiqui, had known each other since childhood.

Defense attorneys Sachin Salunkhe and Yashpal Purohit contended that the charges against the suspects were minor and there was no evidence tying them to terrorism. However, the court upheld the prosecution’s request and remanded the suspects to police custody for further investigation.