The Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) on Wednesday announced the successful busting of a terror module affiliated with Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), a banned organisation.
Four suspects, including two from Gujarat, were arrested during a multi-state operation, officials said, reported the PTI.
“These four were involved in promoting AQIS’s radical ideology by sharing jihadi propaganda and inflammatory content on social media platforms, aiming to dismantle India’s democratic framework and enforce ‘sharia’ (Islamic law) through violent rebellion,” said an official statement, as per the PTI.
The ATS had received intelligence indicating that certain Instagram accounts were disseminating AQIS content and attempting to lure Muslim youth towards extremism. Following a surveillance operation, four individuals were apprehended — two from Gujarat and two from outside the state.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Mohammad Faiq from Delhi, Zeeshan Ali from Noida (Uttar Pradesh), Saifulla Qureshi from Modasa in Gujarat’s Aravalli district, and Mohammad Fardeen Shaikh from Ahmedabad, according to the PTI.
According to Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police, Gujarat ATS, Sunil Joshi, the suspects came into contact through social media platforms. Faiq was reportedly in communication with a Pakistani Instagram user and had discussed ways to expand jihadi activities in India, the news agency reported.
During a search at Shaikh’s residence in Ahmedabad’s Fatehwadi area, ATS officers seized a sword and AQIS literature containing jihadist rhetoric against India, including references to ‘Operation Sindoor’, an alleged Indian military operation against Pakistan.
DIG Joshi said, “The primary goal of the accused was to radicalise youth and encourage them to overthrow democracy and establish sharia law through violence. Investigations are ongoing to determine whether they received any external funding or had plotted specific attacks,” reported the PTI.
The group’s social media posts featured AQIS propaganda, calls for the establishment of an Islamic state, and videos glorifying Asim Umar, the Indian-origin AQIS leader killed in Afghanistan in 2019.
“Their actions indicate a deliberate and organised conspiracy to provoke terrorism, incite insurrection, and undermine the sovereignty and democratic integrity of India,” Joshi said, the news agency reported.
All four have been charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Section 113 (terrorist acts), Section 152 (acts threatening India’s sovereignty and unity), and Section 196 (promoting enmity between groups).
Notably, this comes after the 2023 arrests of four Bangladeshi nationals in Ahmedabad over alleged AQIS links.
(with PTI inputs)