Early Times Report
Jammu, July 8: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday carried out coordinated searches at 20 locations across 10 states and the national capital as part of its ongoing investigation into an alleged online terror radicalisation network accused of promoting the ideology of the banned terrorist organisations ISIS and Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) to recruit and indoctrinate vulnerable youth.
The nationwide operation was conducted in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and the Union Territory of Delhi in connection with case RC-01/2026/NIA/VSKP, which pertains to a conspiracy aimed at establishing an Islamic State in India through violent jihad against the country's democratically elected government.
According to the NIA, the searches resulted in the seizure of several digital devices, including electronic gadgets and storage media, which will now undergo detailed forensic examination to uncover further evidence related to the alleged radicalisation network and identify additional conspirators.
The anti-terror agency has so far arrested 11 accused and one juvenile in the case. The investigation was taken over by the NIA from the Vijayawada Police in May this year after preliminary findings pointed to a wider interstate and organised online radicalisation module.
The case was initially registered by the Vijayawada Police in March following a search at the residence of the prime accused, Rehmatullah Sharif Mohammad, during which investigators recovered incriminating material linked to the banned terrorist organisations ISIS (Islamic State) and AQIS (Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent). The recovered material allegedly included extremist propaganda intended to promote violent jihad and facilitate the recruitment and indoctrination of susceptible individuals.
Officials said Wednesday's searches were carried out after investigators analysed digital devices seized during earlier raids and examined communication links, online activity and connectivity among the arrested accused. The technical analysis enabled the agency to identify additional locations suspected to be connected with the alleged conspiracy.
The NIA said its investigation has revealed that the accused, along with their associates, were actively engaged in spreading extremist ideology through online platforms by circulating violent jihadi content and misinformation to radicalise vulnerable youth across different parts of the country.
According to investigators, the accused were also in regular contact with foreign handlers through online communication channels. These handlers allegedly guided them in disseminating extremist propaganda, promoting the ideology of ISIS and AQIS, and furthering what the agency described as an anti-India conspiracy aimed at destabilising the country and establishing a so-called 'Caliphate'.
The agency said the investigation is focused on identifying the entire network, including additional operatives, facilitators and sympathisers involved in the alleged conspiracy. The digital evidence seized during the latest searches is expected to provide crucial leads regarding the recruitment process, communication channels, financial transactions and operational links of the accused.
Officials said further investigation into the case is continuing. |
