Maharashtra terror plot: ATS arrests suspect from Mumbai

The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has arrested another suspect in connection with an alleged terror plot uncovered following the seizure of explosives and weapons in Palghar, taking the number of major arrests in the case to five.

The latest accused, identified as 30-year-old Avinash Pawar, was arrested from Ghatkopar in north-east Mumbai on Saturday, officials said. He was expected to be produced before a court later in the day.

The arrest follows the ATS operation on August 10, when the agency recovered bombs, explosives, firearms and ammunition during a crackdown in Palghar. Investigators suspect the material was intended to be used in planned attacks in Mumbai, Pune, Satara and Solapur.

Before Pawar's arrest, the ATS had taken into custody four other people in connection with the investigation. They were identified as Hindu right-wing activists Vaibhav Raut, Sharad Kalaskar and Sudhnava Gondhalekar, along with former Shiv Sena corporator Shrikant Pangarkar.

The investigation has since expanded beyond the initial seizures, with the ATS examining the suspected network's activities and alleged links across Maharashtra and other states.

Officials said investigators were probing possible connections in Uttar Pradesh and Assam as they sought to establish the wider structure of the alleged network, its members and the intended targets of the suspected attacks.

The latest arrest is expected to provide investigators with further leads as the ATS attempts to determine how the alleged network operated and whether more people were involved.