PATNA: Investigating agencies have alleged that a madrasa teacher arrested in Bihar's Madhubani district last week was tasked by Pakistan-based handlers with arranging passports for young men and linking them to an agent in Nepal as part of a wider recruitment network.
According to intelligence sources, Maulana Izhar-Ul-Haq, who was serving as a teacher at a local madrasa, was allegedly involved in recruiting youths from several districts of Bihar. Investigators claim the recruits were to be routed through Nepal before being sent to Pakistan.
Investigators alleged that two others — Naeem Abdullah of Deoband and Faraz alias Khalid Saifullah of Bhopal — were assigned separate responsibilities by Pakistan-based handlers.
The alleged network came under scrutiny following the arrests of the three men based on technical surveillance conducted by the Anti-Terrorism Squads (ATS) of Madhya Pradesh and Bihar. Following the arrests, the state police headquarters directed all range Inspectors General (IGs) and Superintendents of Police (SPs) to remain vigilant.
Investigators also alleged that Pakistan-based operators intended to use the recruited youths for targeted killings. During questioning, Faraz reportedly stated that photographs of potential targets were to be sent through WhatsApp. He also allegedly admitted to obtaining a passport at the direction of handlers based in Pakistan.
According to the ATS, anti-India messages were allegedly disseminated through Google Meet, while attempts were made to influence young men by referring to the alleged "Mission 2047" agenda associated with the banned organisation Popular Front of India (PFI). Investigators alleged that all three accused had been responsible for disseminating these messages and speeches delivered by Pakistan-based handlers.
According to investigating agencies, the mobile phones of the accused contained speeches by Pakistani clerics, along with audio and video material related to Osama bin Laden, Asim Umar and other jihadist content. The digital evidence is currently undergoing forensic examination. Officials believe further questioning and technical analysis could help identify other suspects linked to the network.
The arrest has added a new dimension to the probe, with investigators suspecting that the madrasa teacher may have played a key role in strengthening the network.
According to investigators, Izhar maintained communication with overseas handlers and was tasked with expanding the network's reach, reviving dormant cells and facilitating coordination among individuals often separated by hundreds of kilometres and, in many cases, unknown to one another.
The investigation gained momentum on June 12 when the Madhya Pradesh ATS arrested Mohd Faraz during a covert operation near Nanhe Bee's Mosque in Bhopal's Qazi Camp area.
Faraz, who worked at a doctor's clinic, soon emerged as a key focus of the investigation. Officials alleged that he had been consuming extremist content disseminated through encrypted digital channels and had become increasingly influenced by radical propaganda.
Officials believe the questioning of the three arrested suspects could provide critical insights into how the network operated in Bihar and other parts of the country.
