Bengaluru, 13 June

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken a significant step in dismantling an ISIS terror network with the arrest and chargesheet of seven individuals belonging to the Ballari module. This breakthrough comes amid ongoing concerns about radicalisation and sleeper cell activities.

The NIA investigation, codenamed RC-03/2023/NIA/BLR and initiated in December 2023, revealed that the accused were actively involved in recruiting and radicalising vulnerable youth as Mujahideen's, to establish a network of 50 sleeper cells across every Indian district by 2025. These cells were intended to launch guerrilla attacks targeting security personnel and leaders of specific religious groups.

The terror module, inspired by the violent ideology of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), aimed to establish a Caliphate system in India through jihad. Their activities included fabricating explosives for potential attacks and conducting a trial blast in Bellary.  Investigations further exposed their efforts to propagate ISIS ideology by sharing extremist digital content with potential recruits. All of them have been charged under various sections of IPC, UA(P) Act, Arms Act and Explosive Substances Act.

The seized materials included bomb-making materials, weapons, and propaganda materials promoting jihad and the establishment of an Islamic caliphate. Incriminating documents outlining the ISIS roadmap for achieving this goal in India were also recovered.

Six of the accused pledged allegiance (bayath) to Md. Sulaiman, who self-proclaimed himself as the leader (Amir) of the group. The NIA has identified the accused as Mohammed Muniruddin, Syed Sameer, Md. Muzammil (all from Karnataka), Anas Iqbal Shaikh (Maharashtra), Mohd. Shahbaz (Jharkhand), and Shayan Rehman (Delhi). -Salar News