Lucknow, Nov 16 : Uttar Pradesh Police on Friday arrested three Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists, who were planning to abduct a well-known personality in the country.

A large cache of arms and ammunition, including AK 47 guns, 120 rounds of AK 47, four magazines, three pistols, 16 hand grenades, five detonators and four kilograms of RDX, were also recovered from them.

All the three terrorists- Mohammand Yousuf Jamir Kashmiri, Mohammand Rashid and Mohammand Abid, who the police claims hailed from Multan in Pakistan, were produced before the media by Director General of Police (DGP) Vikram Singh.

Addressing reporters here, Singh said the arrested terrorists were planning to abduct a well-known personality who falls in the VVIP category. They planned to use the VVIP as ransom for securing the release of 42 militants lodged in Indian jails.

Though Singh refused to divulge the name of the VVIP whom the terrorist was planning to target, it is widely speculated that the personality could be Congress MP from Amethi and son of Congress President, Rahul Gandhi.

“His (VVIP’s) kidnapping was aimed at putting pressure on the national and international communities to give in to their demands by creating a situation of chaos and panic in the country, " Singh told reporters.

"They (terrorists) wanted some negotiations to get them free. These arrested people wanted Yusuf Jameel (former correspondent with BBC) and Altaf Hussain to get involved in the negotiation process, '' he added.

Earlier in the day, the Special Task Force of the UP police intercepted a Santro car at around 5 o’clock in the morning on the Delhi-Lucknow road, carrying three terrorists after acting on intelligence input. On being intercepted, the militants started firing at police.

The ensuing crossfire led to the arrest of the JeM militants.

"We have found some identity cards, which indicate that these terrorists are Kashmiris but we feel the ID cards are forged, " said SSP Amitabh Yash of Special Task Force.

Interrogations are on to find more details of such sleeper-terror cells active in the country. (ANI)