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The Print
2 days ago
- The Print
Delhi link led Gujarat ATS to Bengaluru woman held for ‘operating al Qaeda propaganda accounts'
Parveen is the fifth suspect arrested by Gujarat ATS in the last seven days on charges of promoting 'jihadi' content. Last week, ATS arrested Fardeen Shaikh from Ahmedabad and Saifulla Qureshi from Modasa in Gujarat, as well as Mohammad Faiq from Delhi's Chandni Chowk and Zeeshan Ali from Uttar Pradesh's Noida on similar charges. The woman, identified as Shama Parveen Ansari (30), was taken into custody from her family home in Bengaluru's RT Nagar, Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Sunil Joshi said in a press conference Wednesday. He added that Parveen is originally from Jharkhand. New Delhi: The Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) Tuesday arrested a Bengaluru-based woman on charges of producing and publishing propaganda for the terrorist outfit al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), including speeches of its chief Asim Umar and cleric Abdul Aziz of Islamabad's Lal Masjid, on her social media platforms. Sources in the Gujarat ATS said there is a possibility that the suspects may have been radicalised without actually coming in contact with any active operative of the AQIS but the investigation is still in a nascent stage. The then al Qaeda leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, officially announced the existence of AQIS on 3 September, 2014, and identified Pakistan-based Asim Umar as its leader. The stated aim of the outfit was to further ideological objectives of al Qaeda in the Indian subcontinent with Myanmar, Bangladesh, Assam, Gujarat and Kashmir as regions of operation. The matter first came to the attention of ATS on 10 June this year after deputy superintendent of police (DSP), Harsh Upadhyay, received 'intelligence' about five Instagram accounts actively sharing al Qaeda propaganda videos to radicalise young recruits. These accounts were identified as sharyat_ya_shahadat, f4rdeen_03, _mujahideen1, mujahideen.3 and sefullah_muja_hid313. Content uploaded on these accounts attempted to incite Indian Muslims to commit violence or acts of terror against 'non-believers', encourage armed rebellion against the democratically-elected Government of India, and promote the establishment of a Shariat-based Caliphate in the country, DIG Sunil Joshi said in a press conference last week. Investigators said they found, on a device recovered from Fardeen Shaikh, AQIS literature promoting 'jihad' against India for 'Operation Sindoor' and a purported video of him waving a sword and chanting: 'This was the only thing missing, now it's complete; Allahu Akbar.' Gujarat ATS also found that one of the suspects, Mohammad Faik, was allegedly collaborating with Pakistan-based Instagram accounts 'gujjar_sab.111' and 'M Salauddin Siddiqui 1360' to target the Indian government. DIG Joshi said investigators reached Parveen's doorsteps after questioning Faiq, who allegedly confessed to having downloaded the majority of these propaganda videos from one Instagram account named 'strangers_nation02'. 'The accused Mohammad Faiq s/o Mohammad Rizwan, via his Instagram account sharyat_ya_shahadat, had posted inciting and provocative videos calling for Jihad, Ghazwa-e-Hind, terror attacks and spreading hatred toward non-believers (kafirs). He had downloaded this content from the Instagram account 'strangers_nation02' as well as Facebook pages 'Strangers Of The Nation' and 'Strangers Of The Nation 2', edited them, reposted them, and interacted with the users of these accounts,' DIG Joshi said in the press conference Wednesday. After this, ATS began investigating administrators of these accounts and found Parveen had allegedly been operating them from Bengaluru. Upon examining her devices, the ATS said she posted inflammatory speeches of AQIS chief Umar, as well as those of Abdul Aziz, who is infamous for his anti-India rhetoric. She was taken into custody from Bengaluru Tuesday and will be produced before a local court in Ahmedabad Wednesday. (Edited by Amrtansh Arora) Also Read: FATF flags al-Qaeda & ISIL's 'decentralisation', says such groups rely on merch sales, informal funding
Time of India
24-07-2025
- Time of India
From remote hills to growing towns Uttarakhand's infrastructure tells a story of transformation.
'In Contact With Pakistan...': Gujarat ATS Arrests 4 Al-Qaeda Terrorists, Op Sindoor Docs Recovered The Gujarat ATS has arrested four men — Fardeen Shaikh (Ahmedabad), Mohd Faiq (Delhi), Zeeshan Ali (Noida), and Saifullah Qureshi (Modasa) — for links to AQIS (Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent). They allegedly ran Instagram accounts promoting terror, spreading anti-India, pro-Pakistan content, and advocating Shariat over democracy. One was found with a sword and Operation Sindoor-linked material. Mohd Faiq had ties to Pakistani Instagram accounts sharing 'jihadi' content. UAPA and BNS sections have been invoked. Two accused are on 14-day remand, two will be produced in court. ATS recovered provocative material meant to incite communal discord. #gujarat #ats #alqaeda #antiterrorism #operationsindoor #indiasecurity #counterterrorism #radicalization #nationalsecurity #indiapakistan #lawandorder #toi #toibharat 16.6K views | 13 hours ago
Time of India
24-07-2025
- Time of India
Houthis Fire Another Missile At Israel, But It Explodes Mid-Air Outside Israeli Airspace
'In Contact With Pakistan...': Gujarat ATS Arrests 4 Al-Qaeda Terrorists, Op Sindoor Docs Recovered The Gujarat ATS has arrested four men — Fardeen Shaikh (Ahmedabad), Mohd Faiq (Delhi), Zeeshan Ali (Noida), and Saifullah Qureshi (Modasa) — for links to AQIS (Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent). They allegedly ran Instagram accounts promoting terror, spreading anti-India, pro-Pakistan content, and advocating Shariat over democracy. One was found with a sword and Operation Sindoor-linked material. Mohd Faiq had ties to Pakistani Instagram accounts sharing 'jihadi' content. UAPA and BNS sections have been invoked. Two accused are on 14-day remand, two will be produced in court. ATS recovered provocative material meant to incite communal discord. #gujarat #ats #alqaeda #antiterrorism #operationsindoor #indiasecurity #counterterrorism #radicalization #nationalsecurity #indiapakistan #lawandorder #toi #toibharat 16.6K views | 13 hours ago
The Hindu
23-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Four held by Gujarat ATS for allegedly promoting AQIS propaganda online
The Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) of the Gujarat police on Wednesday (July 23, 2025) said it had arrested four suspects from different parts of the country for allegedly promoting the ideology of Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), a banned terrorist organisation, through social media platforms. Officials said the suspects were actively inciting youth towards jihad and violent anti-national activities online. According to ATS Deputy Superintendent of Police Harsh Upadhyay, the operation was initiated following intelligence inputs regarding five Instagram accounts allegedly disseminating inflammatory and anti-national content to radicalise youth and encourage terrorist activities and unrest in India. The suspects have been identified as Fardeen Shaikh from Fatehwadi (Ahmedabad), Saifulla Qureshi from Modasa (Gujarat), Mohammad Faik from Chandni Chowk (Delhi), and Zeeshan Ali from Noida (Uttar Pradesh). Acting on the intelligence, the ATS constituted four teams and conducted coordinated operations across Ahmedabad, Modasa, Delhi, and Noida on July 21 and 22. The operations were carried out with coordination central agencies, the Delhi Police Special Cell, and the Uttar Pradesh ATS. The investigation revealed that the group was allegedly propagating AQIS ideology under the banner of 'Ghazwa-e-Hind' and encouraging followers to take up arms. The suspects had reportedly circulated jihadist videos and literature via the social media accounts. During the search operations, the ATS recovered AQIS literature and a sword from the possession of Fardeen Shaikh. Officials said the sword was purportedly intended for use in anti-national jihad. A video recovered from Shaikh's phone allegedly showed him brandishing the weapon. Authorities further stated that mobile content from all four suspects' Instagram accounts contained material promoting jihad, 'Ghazwa-e-Hind', and incitement to violence against Indian democratic institutions. 'The aim of this propaganda was to undermine Indian democracy by urging the establishment of a Sharia-compliant or alternate Islamic governance through armed violence,' officials said. As part of the ongoing investigation, the ATS is auditing 25 sensitive and 62 related Instagram accounts. Cases have been registered against the accused under Sections 13, 18, 38, and 39 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, and relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Hindustan Times
23-07-2025
- Hindustan Times
4 terrorists arrested as Gujarat ATS busts Al Qaeda module
Ahmedabad: The Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has arrested four men for allegedly operating a social media module that promoted the ideology and propaganda of Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), a banned terrorist organisation, said officials. The arrests followed a statewide and inter-state operation carried out on July 21 and 22 based on intelligence inputs received last month. Two of the accused have been remanded to 14 days in ATS custody. Legal proceedings against the other two are in progress. (Gujarat ATS) The investigation identified four individuals: Fardeen Shaikh from Fatehwadi, Ahmedabad; Mohammad Faiq from Chandni Chowk, Delhi; Zeeshan Ali from Noida, Uttar Pradesh; and Sefullah Qureshi from Modasa in Gujarat. Gujarat ATS DIG Sunil Joshi said that all four individuals had been under watch for suspected links to the terror outfit and that the operation to arrest them was done based on specific intelligence inputs and coordinated surveillance. On June 10, Gujarat ATS received information about a group of Instagram accounts being used to circulate inflammatory content aimed at inciting violence and attracting youth toward terror organisations, said officials. The accounts sharyat_ya_shahadat, f4rdeen_03, _mujahideen1, mujahideen.3, and sefullah_muja_hid313 were sharing videos of AQIS and promoting the ideology 'Ghazwa-e-Hind', they said. 'The accounts aimed to incite Indian Muslims to commit violence against non-believers, encourage rebellion against the government, and promote establishment of an Islamic Sharia-based Caliphate in India,' said an official. ATS officials formed a team under superintendent of police K. Siddharth to identify the account operators. The team included officers from various ranks and conducted investigations to trace the users. Four teams were dispatched to these locations on July 21 and 22. The operation involved coordination with Delhi Police, Delhi Special Cell, UP ATS, and UP Police. All four suspects were detained and brought to the ATS office. 'During examination of recovered items, ATS found AQIS literature promoting jihad against India for Operation Sindoor and a sword from Fardeen Shaikh's possession. A video on his mobile phone showed him waving the sword while chanting: 'This was the only thing missing, now it's complete. Allahu Akbar',' said officials. The mobile phones of all four accused contained content related to jihad, Ghazwa-e-Hind, Kafir, and material promoting violence and terror attacks. The four individuals were found to have been operating together, using their respective accounts to amplify each other's posts and reach a wider audience, according to officials. The accused worked together to distribute propaganda material, jihadi content, videos, and incitement fatwas for rebellion like Ghazwa-e-Hind through Instagram. The activities targeted institutions of Indian governance. Mohammad Faiq collaborated with Pakistani Instagram accounts gujjar_sab.111 and M Salauddin Siddiqui 1360 to target Indian governance. The investigation extended to 25 Instagram accounts and data from 62 accounts related to the case. A case has been registered against the four under various sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (UAPA), including sections 13 (unlawful activity), 18 (conspiracy), 38 (membership of a terrorist organisation), and 39 (support to a terrorist organisation). They have also been booked under sections 113 (promoting enmity), 152 (statements conducing to public mischief), 196 (conspiracy to commit offences against the state), and 61 (attempt) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, 2023 (BNS). Two of the accused have been remanded to 14 days in ATS custody. Legal proceedings against the other two are in progress, and further investigation is underway to identify additional persons involved in the network, said officials. The arrest comes as a major development in India's crackdown on terror activities, particularly after the terror attack in Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22 in which 26 people died, most of whom were tourists.
