The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Sunday conducted raids at multiple locations across three States in connection with ‘Ghazwa-e-Hind’, a radicalised module, being run by Pakistan-based suspects.
A total of five locations, one in Darbhanga and two in Patna, both in Bihar, one each in Surat (Gujarat), and Bareilly (Uttar Pradesh), were raided by the NIA in the case at the premises of the suspects, the NIA said.
The NIA said incriminating materials, including digital devices (mobile phones, memory cards), SIM cards and documents were seized during the searches.
The case came to light after the arrest of Marghoob Ahmad Danish alias Tahir of Phulwarisharif area of Patna district by the Bihar Police, which registered it as FIR number 840/2022 on July 14, 2022.
The NIA took over the case and re-registered it on July 22, 2022. Marghoob was chargesheeted on January 6, 2023 under various Sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
“The accused was found to be a member of the Ghazwa-e-Hind module, which was operated by Pakistan-based operatives, with the objective of radicalizing impressionable youth for the establishment of Ghazwa-e-Hind over the Indian territory,” the NIA said in a statement.
Investigations revealed that Marghoob was the administrator of a WhatsApp Group ‘Ghazwa-e-Hind’, created by a Pakistani national Zain. He had added many Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis and Yemeni nationals to the Group with the aim of establishing sleeper cells in the country for carrying out terrorist activities, the agency said.
The accused had created various social media groups of the ‘Ghazwa-e-Hind’ on WhatsApp, Telegram and BiP Messenger. He had also created another WhatsApp group in the name of ‘BDGhazwa E HindBD’ and had added Bangladeshi nationals to it, it said.
Further investigations revealed that various suspects involved in the case were in contact with Pakistan-based handlers and were engaged in propagating the idea of Ghazwa-e-Hind. Further NIA investigations in the case are in progress, it added.