The preliminary investigation revealed that the PFI activist was an active visitor to Shaheen Bagh protest site and he was regularly providing funds for food

New Delhi: With the recent arrests of a Kashmiri couple with alleged links to Islamic State (IS) and a PFI activist - both active participants of anti-CAA protests - the Special Cell of Delhi Police is looking into a larger conspiracy behind the communal riots in the national capital.

Danish, who is a member of the Popular Front of India (PFI), was arrested earlier in the day in connection with his alleged role in instigating protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in the country.

The official sources on Monday told Times Now, "Delhi Police Special Cell is looking into the larger conspiracy behind the anti-CAA protests which lead to communal riots in Delhi."

At least 53 people were killed and more than 200 injured after communal riots broke out in North-East Delhi on February 23. 

The sources further said that Danish was an active visitor to Shaheen Bagh, which has been the epicentre of anti-CAA protests in Delhi, and he was regularly providing funds for the food at the protest site. 

"The latest arrest of Danish has given clues regarding the information war by the PFI. Danish was the head of the counter-intelligence wing of PFI. He had been actively participating in the anti-CAA protest across the country," the sources said.

Danish was serving as the general secretary of PFI's Trilokpuri unit in East Delhi. Trilokpuri is a sensitive area where several incidents of communal violence have taken place in the past.

IS-Linked Kashmiri Couple

On Sunday, a Kashmiri couple allegedly linked to the Islamic State's Khorasan module was detained for instigating anti-CAA protests in Delhi. They were arrested from Jamia Nagar and identified as Jahanazaib Sami (36) and his wife Hina Bashir Beg (39).

The preliminary investigation suggests that the couple had been running a social media page by the name of ‘Indian Muslims United'. The purpose of the page was to mobilise protesters against the CAA and the National Register of Citizens (NRC). 

During the investigation, it was revealed that the couple, being active members of the Khorasan Module of IS, was operating from Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir, but later they moved to Delhi due to internet clampdown in the Valley.

The police are investigating the matter from all angles as the data recovered from the couple is yet to be analysed. Once the data is analysed, the probe agencies will have further clarity about their motive and plans.

"Officers of CERT are analysing mobile phones and laptops and trying to recover the data from the devices. Once the police get access to the digital data, the couple will be further interrogated." the sources said.