'We'll return and shake the govt': Rameshwaram Café blast bomber makes chilling threat, says will target India again

Indian intelligence agencies are on high alert after intercepting a video featuring terrorist Farhatullah Ghori, who is seen urging sleeper cells in India to carry out attacks on the country's railway network. 

According to sources, Ghori, a fugitive jihadist currently based in Pakistan, orchestrated the recent blast at Bengaluru's Rameshwaram Cafe through a sleeper cell with the backing of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), India Today reported.

The video, which has brought Ghori back into the spotlight, shows him calling for the disruption of India’s railway system. He details various methods for executing bomb blasts, including the use of pressure cookers. Ghori also outlines plans to target petroleum pipelines and Hindu leaders, while acknowledging that Indian agencies are weakening sleeper cells by targeting their assets through the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA).

"But we will return and shake the government," Ghori declares in the video, signaling his intent to continue his terrorist activities despite the ongoing crackdown.

Intelligence sources revealed that the video was released on Telegram about three weeks ago, further intensifying concerns over potential attacks.

The blast at Rameshwaram Cafe, which occurred on March 1, left at least 10 people injured. The NIA took over the investigation on March 3, and by April 12, had arrested two key suspects: Abdul Matheen Ahmed Taahaa and Mussavir Hussain Shazib. Taahaa is believed to be the mastermind behind the attack, while Shazib allegedly planted the IED at the popular cafe. Both were apprehended at a lodge near Kolkata, where they were hiding under false identities. The suspects are reportedly part of an Islamic State (IS) module based in Karnataka’s Shivamogga. This module had also been linked to a blast in Mangaluru in November 2022, carried out by another member, Shariq.

Ghori, along with his son-in-law Shahid Faisal, is known to have an extensive network of sleeper cells in southern India. Faisal was reportedly in contact with both suspects involved in the Rameshwaram Cafe blast and served as the handler for the operation.

Who is Farhatullah Ghori?

Farhatullah Ghori, also known by aliases such as Abu Sufiyan, Sardar Sahab, and Faru, has been connected to several high-profile terrorist attacks. These include the 2002 Akshardham Temple attack in Gujarat, which resulted in over 30 deaths and 80 injuries, and the 2005 suicide attack on the Task Force office in Hyderabad.

Ghori has also been actively involved in online jihadist recruitment. Last year, Delhi Police identified him as the handler of three most-wanted terrorists arrested from Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. Additionally, his name surfaced in connection with the Pune-ISIS module after several terrorists were apprehended across the country. Officials have claimed that the ISI is using Ghori to run sleeper cells in India and recruit young individuals for terrorist activities.