LUCKNOW, April 5 -- The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) probe into the four recently arrested terror suspects has uncovered what senior police officials described as a "multi-layered conspiracy" involving reconnaissance of VVIPs, sensitive government establishments, railway infrastructure and crowded commercial spaces. The plan was to trigger coordinated incidents aimed at spreading panic and causing economic disruption. The ATS had on Friday claimed to have busted a Pakistan-linked sabotage and espionage module with the arrest of Saqib alias Javed, 25, and Arbaaz, 20, both residents of Parikshitgarh in Meerut, and Vikas Gehlot alias Ronak, 27, and Lokesh alias Pappu Pandit alias Babu alias Sonu,19, both from Chhapraula in Gautam Buddh Nagar. The accused were intercepted at Lucknow railway station on Thursday before they could allegedly execute a plan to set fire to a railway signal box. A case was registered at the ATS police station in Lucknow under sections 148 and 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with relevant provisions of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1967. Senior ATS officials involved in the investigation said the accused were allegedly acting on instructions from a Pakistan-based handler identified as Abu Bakar, who had tasked them with collecting sensitive information on key individuals and strategic installations. Among those whose names surfaced during interrogation and forensic analysis was the national security adviser, besides other prominent figures and institutions in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. With the probe ongoing, a senior police officer requesting anonymity said the suspects had travelled to Delhi on multiple occasions to conduct recce of "important offices, political figures and sensitive locations" before transmitting inputs to their handler through encrypted messaging platforms. "Their movements indicate planned surveillance activity. Digital evidence suggests they were identifying potential targets and relaying videos and location-specific information," the officer said. ATS investigators said a major breakthrough came after forensic teams recovered deleted data from the accused persons' mobile phones. Officials said some of the suspects had attempted to erase call records, chats, search history and media files during the crackdown, with at least one handset allegedly formatted before arrest. "Despite the deletion attempt, the forensic recovery has yielded significant digital evidence, including search trails, deleted chats, suspicious contacts and keywords related to strategic establishments and prominent individuals," an ATS investigator said. Officials further claimed that the group was preparing for multiple forms of sabotage, including plans to plant timer-based improvised explosive devices at malls and commercial complexes, use chemical incendiary material to set vehicles and parking areas on fire, and carry out coordinated arson to trigger communal tension in western Uttar Pradesh. Senior police officers also claimed the suspects were conducting reconnaissance of railway signalling systems and track-side infrastructure. "One of the most serious aspects under probe is the alleged plan to target railway signal boxes and critical network points to cause train accidents and widespread panic," a senior ATS officer said. Officials claimed the accused were also learning to assemble timer devices and improvised firebombs through videos and tutorials shared by handlers on Telegram, Signal and Instagram. The material, investigators said, was accompanied by radical and provocative content aimed at indoctrination and operational guidance. The module first came under scrutiny after arson incidents reported in Bijnor and subsequent leads linked to a similar pattern in Pune, officials said. ATS sources said the arrests have opened up a wider investigation into possible sleeper-cell links and local facilitators in western Uttar Pradesh, Noida and Delhi. Police are also tracking the suspected money trail, with investigators examining possible hawala transfers and QR-based transactions allegedly used to finance logistics and reconnaissance activities. Further arrests are likely as the ATS expands the probe....