BHOPAL: A highly radicalised pan-India network of potential lone-wolf attackers has been busted by the Madhya Pradesh Police with the arrest of one of its members in Bhopal.
A 35-year-old highly radicalised man, identified as Mohammad Faraz, who was allegedly planning lone-wolf attacks and other anti-national activities in association with like-minded and trained youths at the behest of a Pakistani handler, has been arrested by the Madhya Pradesh Police's Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) from the state capital, Bhopal.
“Mohammad Faraz, a resident of the Qazi Camp area in old Bhopal, was arrested by the MP ATS and produced before a special court in the state capital, which remanded him to police custody for detailed questioning till June 16,” IG, MP ATS, Dr Ashish, told TNIE on Friday.
The ATS operation was launched based on specific inputs that Faraz had joined a Pakistani WhatsApp group and, acting on the instructions of a Pakistani handler, was adding other youths to the group and preparing for anti-national activities in Madhya Pradesh and other parts of the country.
The ATS team traced Faraz and questioned him. During interrogation, he allegedly admitted that he had been in contact for the last five to six years, through a mobile phone, with Nayeem Abdullah, a resident of Deoband in western Uttar Pradesh.
According to investigators, Nayeem introduced Faraz to a Pakistani handler, and over time Faraz developed direct contact with him. The handler allegedly motivated Faraz to join “jihad,” telling him that many youths in India had already been prepared for the cause and that Faraz, too, would have to ready himself.
Police sources said that Faraz had become so heavily influenced by the handler that he was prepared to carry out any task assigned to him.
During preliminary questioning, Faraz revealed that he was connected through Telegram and WhatsApp groups with several Pakistani, Indian and foreign mujahideen.
Nayeem allegedly introduced him to the legacy of slain Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist Khalid Saifullah, the alleged mastermind of the 2005 IISc Bengaluru attack, the 2006 RSS headquarters attack and the 2008 Rampur CRPF camp attack, who was killed by unidentified gunmen in Pakistan's Sindh province last year. Investigators said Faraz was encouraged to emulate Saifullah and had since been using his name for jihad-related activities.
According to the ATS, members of the group were instructed to create fear among the public through targeted killings and a series of lone-wolf attacks.
Investigators further revealed that all youths associated with Nayeem, Faraz and the common Pakistani handler had been instructed to obtain passports to travel to Pakistan for terror training.
Acting on the handler's directions, Faraz had already secured a passport and was allegedly prepared to travel to West Asia or Afghanistan to participate in terror-related activities.
Faraz also told investigators that videos of training imparted to Indian Mujahideen (IM) operatives were shared within the group to motivate members to carry out terror attacks, particularly lone-wolf strikes.
“The Pakistani handler also directed Faraz and other members of the highly radicalised group to work towards implementing the banned Popular Front of India’s (PFI) so-called Mission 2047 agenda of turning India into an Islamic State by 2047. The handler allegedly made Faraz take an oath and urged him and others to reject democratic governance through violent armed struggle. He instructed them to arm themselves and await orders to join other fighters across India to overthrow the government and impose Sharia law across the country,” sources associated with the investigation claimed.
Investigators said that jihadi literature recovered from Faraz corroborates parts of his statements.
A case has been registered at the STF Police Station in Bhopal against Mohammad Faraz and Nayeem Abdullah under Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Sections 13(1)(B) and 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.
Meanwhile, a search has been launched for other members of the alleged radicalised network of potential lone-wolf attackers operating in different parts of the country under the guidance of the Pakistani handler.
