One arrested as NIA conducts raids across six states to bust ISIS Jharkhand module

One suspect was arrested during multi-state raids by the NIA in connection with a case linked to a module of the proscribed ISIS terror group in Jharkhand, an official said on Friday.

The raids were conducted as a follow-up to the July arrest of Aligarh Muslim University student Faizan Ansari, who had come in contact with radicalised individuals during his stay near the institution campus, a federal agency spokesperson said.

The official said the searches were conducted on the premises of suspects at nine locations across six states and led to the arrest of Rahul Sen alias 'Omar' alias 'Omar Bahadur'.

"A host of incriminating material, including electronic/digital devices (laptops, pen drives, mobile phones), one knife, a veil and several ISIS-related documents were seized," the spokesperson said.

The raids were conducted in Bihar's Siwan district, the Jaunpur, Azamgarh and Maharajganj districts of Uttar Pradesh, Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh, Ludhiana in Punjab, South Goa in Goa, Yadgir in Karnataka and Mumbai in Maharashtra, the official added.

Sen (23) was arrested from Ratlam for his active role in the terror conspiracy, including dissemination of ISIS propaganda through social media for radicalisation and recruitment of gullible youths to carry out various terror-related activities, the spokesperson said.

The case was registered by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on July 19 under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Ansari was arrested the next day.

'The investigations had revealed that Ansari (19) had hatched the Jharkhand terror module conspiracy, along with his associates and unknown others, through social media platforms, with an intention to aid and abet terror activities by providing active support to the ISIS, a proscribed terrorist organisation, and disseminate the outfit's propaganda,” the spokesperson said.

He further said, 'The conspiracy was aimed at unleashing violent terror attacks in India on behalf of ISIS and recruiting youngsters to work for the banned outfit,' he added.

The official said Ansari, a Bachelors in Economics student, used to stay in a lodge near the campus. While studying at Aligarh Muslim University, he came in contact with some radicalised individuals who were in communication with ISIS operatives and they formed a closed group that was trying to influence others to join ISIS.

"He was in the process of radicalising neo-converts and bringing them into the terrorist fold to expand the ISIS cadre and footprint in India. He was in contact with foreign-based ISIS handlers who were guiding him in spreading ISIS ideology," the spokesperson said.

He had also contemplated doing 'Hijrat (migration)' to a foreign ISIS conflict theatre after completing his task in India, the official added.