The NIA on Thursday arrested one suspect following raids at at 9 places in different parts of Maharashtra
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The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday arrested one suspect following raids at at 9 places in Maharashtra, the ANI reported.
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According to the ANI, the NIA conducted raids at multiple locations in the ISIS Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar module case, involving a conspiracy to target vital installations.
The arrested suspect has been identified as Mohammed Zoheb Khan. He was arrested after the NIA conducted raids at the houses of various suspects at nine locations in Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar (formerly Aurangabad ), as per the ANI.
The raids led to the seizure of several electronic gadgets and incriminating documents related to the case, said the NIA.
The case against Khan was registered by the NIA Mumbai based on inputs that he and his associates had taken 'Bayath '(pledged allegiance) to the ISIS Khalifa, and had planned to various establishments.
"They were also involved in radicalising and recruiting gullible youth, both physically and over social media, to join ISIS and promote its violent ideology," said the NIA, the news agency reported on Thursday.
As per NIA investigations, the accused and other suspects were in constant touch with their foreign-based handlers for furthering the activities of the global terror network, both in India and abroad.
"They were sharing incriminating videos of 'Bayath', along with materials related to violent jihad and Hijrah to Syria," said the anti-terror agency, adding it is continuing with its investigations in the case.
Meanwhile, last month, the NIA, which cracked down on the ISIS module in Maharashtra last year, revealed details about the accused’s communication methods and their role in promoting the terror organisation’s ideology in India. The charge sheet includes the names of highly educated individuals who zealously propagated terror through speeches on various platforms.
In two separate NIA cases, it’s been noted that the accused utilised different platforms, with numerous calls between the arrested and the absconding ISIS Maharashtra module members. The charge sheet also highlights instances where the accused communicated with ISIS handlers through emails, pledging allegiance to the ISIS caliphate.
The NIA has filed charge sheets against 13 accused in both cases. The first was initially investigated by the NIA, while the other came to light after the Pune police arrested two bike thieves, revealing their involvement as alleged absconding members of Ratlams Al-Sufa terror group, which is linked with ISIS. The Pune case, initially handled by the ATS, was later transferred to the NIA due to the broader international scope of the investigation.
(with ANI inputs)