The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on July 2 conducted raids at multiple locations across three States in connection with a radicalised group named “Ghazwa-e-Hind”, being run by Pakistan-based suspects.
The searches were carried out at five locations in Bihar’s Darbhanga and two places in Patna; Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh; and Surat in Gujarat. The agency seized digital devices, SIM cards and documents.
The case had come to light after the arrest of one Marghoob Ahmad Danish aka Tahir, of Phulwarisharif in Patna, by the Bihar police, which registered a First Information Report (FIR) on July 14 last year. The NIA took over the probe eight days later.
Marghoob was chargesheeted on January 6 under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The accused was found to be a member of the “Ghazwa-e-Hind module” that focussed on radicalising the youth “for the establishment of Ghazwa-e-Hind over Indian territory”, said the NIA in a statement on July 2.
According to the NIA, the accused was the administrator of a WhatsApp group also titled “Ghazwa-e-Hind”, created by a Pakistani national named Zain. He had added several Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Yemeni nationals to the group with the aim of establishing sleeper cells in the country for carrying out terrorist activities, it said.
The accused had created various social media groups of the “Ghazwa-e-Hind” on WhatsApp, Telegram and BiP messengers. He had also created another WhatsApp group in the name of “BDGhazwa E HindBD” and had added Bangladeshi nationals to it.
“...various suspects involved in the case were in contact with Pakistan-based handlers and were involved in propagating the idea of ‘Ghazwa-e-Hind’. The NIA’s raids today were conducted at the premises of these suspects across three States,” said the agency.
