According to a press release issued by the ATS on Monday, the arrests were made after a sustained digital surveillance operation revealed a WhatsApp group which had more than 400 members, mostly Pakistani nationals and three group administrators
On August 1, a case was registered against the accused at the ATS police station in Lucknow under Section 148. Representational Pic
The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has arrested two men, including one from Maharashtra, for allegedly conspiring to disrupt communal harmony and promote anti-national activities through online platforms, including WhatsApp and Instagram.
According to a press release issued by the ATS on Monday, the arrests were made after a sustained digital surveillance operation revealed a WhatsApp group titled "Reviving Islam", which had more than 400 members, mostly Pakistani nationals and three group administrators.
One of the members was found to be using a phone number based in Uttar Pradesh, it said.
The suspect was identified as Ajmal Ali, from Dehra village near Amroha in western Uttar Pradesh. ATS officials said that Ajmal was propagating radical and anti-national ideology targeting non-Muslim communities through multiple social media platforms.
Ajmal was summoned for questioning at the ATS headquarters, where he allegedly confessed to being in touch with several Pakistani individuals via social media.
He also admitted to being mentored by a person, identified as Dr Usama Maj Sheikh, a resident of the Badlapur area in Thane district of Maharashtra.
Usama, according to the ATS, maintained communication with Ajmal via Instagram and the Signal messaging app. Their conversations included "extremist discussions about toppling India's elected government and replacing it with a Sharia-based system".
He is alleged to have incited Ajmal and others toward violent jihad as part of a broader objective to establish "Ghazwa-e-Hind", the ATS said.
On August 1, a case was registered against Ajmal at the ATS police station in Lucknow under Sections 148 (conspiracy to commit offences related to waging or attempting to wage war against the Government of India) and 152 (act endangering sovereignty, unity and integrity of India) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). He was taken into judicial custody, the agency said.
Based on further investigation, ATS operatives arrested Usama from Badlapur, Maharashtra, on August 4, according to the statement.
The ATS claims that both individuals were "deeply involved in online radicalisation efforts" and were "attempting to provoke young Muslim men against non-Muslims, thereby encouraging anti-India criminal activities".
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