Bengaluru woman arrested by Gujarat ATS for alleged Al-Qaeda links, online extremist activites

Hindustan Times

5 days ago

In a shocking development, the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has arrested a woman based in Bengaluru on suspicions of collaborating with the banned militant group Al-Qaeda. The woman has been identified as Sama Parveen. Sama Parveen reportedly used Instagram to spread extremist content.
Officials asserted that Parveen played a role in activities considered a threat to national security and used social media — particularly Instagram — to spread extremist viewpoints.
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Investigators from the ATS reported that Parveen maintained regular online interactions with four individuals — two from Gujarat and two from Delhi/Noida — who were detained earlier this year due to their alleged Al-Qaeda connections and dissemination of radical content online.
Operating out of Bengaluru, Parveen has been accused of joining several militant-focused Instagram channels, posting incendiary material to influence and draw young people toward extremist causes. She is believed to have circulated messages and videos endorsing 'Ghazwa-e-Hind,' a campaign advocated by some radical groups calling for a religious war in the region.
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Authorities said Parveen, during questioning, acknowledged her participation in these digital extremist circles and admitted to distributing provocative content that could inspire violence. The ATS claimed to have confiscated substantial digital proof from her electronic equipment, which they contend supports her involvement in the alleged propaganda network.
Upon scrutinizing several Instagram accounts distributing radical messaging, the ATS uncovered that all five suspicious profiles were linked to Parveen. Utilizing digital forensics and advanced investigative methods, agents pinpointed her location and ultimately detained her in Bengaluru.
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This breakthrough resulted from leads given by individuals previously detained for Al-Qaeda ties, providing information about Parveen's social media activities and her connections with other radicalized contacts.
Originally hailing from Jharkhand, Parveen had lived in the Manoramapalya area of Bengaluru for the last five years. Acting on intelligence inputs, ATS operatives raided her residence and placed her under arrest on Tuesday morning.
Her detention also relates to a case tied to the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) in Jharkhand. Soon after being apprehended, Parveen was presented before the 8th Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate in Bengaluru, Judge Vishwanath, who authorized the Gujarat Police to transfer her for further investigation.
The ATS has since intensified efforts to unravel whether Parveen operated by herself or as part of a more extensive extremist network in southern India, with ongoing interrogations and technical checks attempting to map out her connections and activities in greater detail.
Further investigation is underway and more details are expected shortly.
(Reporting by Coovercolly Indresh)