Jaipur woman arrested for alleged Jaish links planned to marry Masood Azhar aide, say officials | India News

NEW DELHI: A 38-year-old woman arrested in Jaipur last week was planning to travel to Pakistan to marry a close associate of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar, officials said on Thursday.The woman, identified as Babita Dhakar alias “Khadija”, allegedly intended to enter Pakistan via Nepal. She had been under surveillance by military intelligence agencies for several weeks before being arrested by the Rajasthan Police’s Anti-Terror Squad.Babita, who remains in police custody till June 27, has been booked under various provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).According to officials, a forensic examination of Babita’s electronic devices revealed multiple Pakistani phone numbers, including those suspected to belong to Yusuf Azhar, a close relative of Masood Azhar, and Qari Zarar, who is wanted in India in connection with several cases.Investigators also found that Babita, a resident of Jaipur’s Sitapura area, was allegedly in contact with members and supporters of the JeM, a Pakistan-based banned terrorist organisation.Babita’s contact with Pakistan-based individuals eventually led her to develop a close relationship with a man identified as Abu Ubaidah.“She claimed that she developed emotional ties with Abu Ubaidah and became interested in the Jaish due to her admiration for the mujahideen. She frequently viewed and liked social media posts and reels featuring weapons uploaded by members or supporters of the organisation,” an official associated with the investigation told PTI.As per the FIR, Babita told investigators that Abu Ubaidah wanted to marry her and encouraged her to learn and practise Islamic teachings, including offering prayers and reading the Quran.“She was invited to Pakistan to work for Jaish. As part of the process, she was asked to obtain a passport,” the official added.Investigators further alleged that Babita discussed possible travel routes to Pakistan with Abu Ubaidah and a cleric, including transit through Nepal, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. They also discussed financing her journey through cryptocurrency, prompting her to download cryptocurrency-related applications and research the subject online.The FIR further stated that Babita admitted to sharing one-time passwords (OTPs) received on her Indian mobile numbers with her Pakistani handler, enabling him to operate WhatsApp accounts linked to those numbers.Later, Babita discovered that Abu Ubaidah was married, leaving her disappointed.She had also searched online for ways to make explosives and had been informed by her Pakistani handler about networks operating in India. Officials, however, noted that a detailed technical analysis of her mobile phone would be required to verify these claims.Babita is the third among five siblings. Officials said she was married in 2018 but separated from her husband shortly afterwards.