Jharkhand Anti-Terrorist Squad arrests four persons allegedly linked to terrorist organisations

RANCHI: Jharkhand’s Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested four people from Dhanbad for their alleged links to banned terrorist organisations -- Hizb ut-Tahrir (HuT) and Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS).

This crackdown comes merely months after Hizb ut-Tahrir was officially banned by the Government of India under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) on October 10, 2024.

This marks the first criminal action against the group since the ban was imposed on Hizb ut-Tahrir.

According to preliminary investigations, the arrested individuals allegedly were radicalising local youths via social media and the dark web, linking them to terrorist networks.

They were also reportedly involved in the illegal arms trade and other anti-national activities in the Dhanbad district. Acting on secret intelligence, the ATS launched coordinated raids at over 15 locations across Dhanbad, including Wasseypur and the Noor Masjid area.

“During the raids, two high-quality pistols, 12 cartridges, several mobile phones, laptops, and a large quantity of banned literature and documents linked to extremist organisations were recovered from their possession,” stated an official communique from the state police headquarters.

The arrested individuals have been identified as: Gulfam Hasan (21), Aayan Javed (21), Md. Shahzad Alam (20) and Shabnam Parveen (20), who is the wife of Aayan Javed. All four people are currently being interrogated by the ATS officials.

Hizb ut-Tahrir, founded in Jerusalem in 1953, has been active in promoting religious extremism and recruiting individuals for jihadist activities.

The HuT has been promoting terrorism by using various social media platforms, secure apps and by conducting 'Dawah' meetings to encourage gullible youth to indulge in acts of terrorism.

According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the HuT is an organisation which aims to establish Islamic state and caliphate globally, including in India, by overthrowing democratically elected governments through jihad and terrorist activities by involving citizens of the country, which is a grave threat to the democratic setup and internal security of the country.

The Ministry of Home Affairs banned the group, citing its involvement in activities that threaten the sovereignty and integrity of India.

Meanwhile, a formal criminal case has been registered at ATS headquarters in Ranchi, and further investigations are underway to uncover the full extent of the terror network’s activities in Jharkhand.

ATS officials have assured that the crackdown on extremist networks will continue with full force to ensure the safety and security of the state.

This operation follows a similar crackdown last year, when Jharkhand ATS, alongside Delhi Police, arrested nine suspects during raids across Ranchi, Hazaribagh, and Lohardaga.

Among those arrested was Dr. Ishtiaq Ahmed, a radiologist at Medica Hospital in Ranchi, accused of being a key Al-Qaeda operative planning to turn India into an Islamic state. Heavy police presence was maintained at all search sites to prevent any untoward incidents during the raids.