New Delhi, April 24: A radical group inspired by Al Qaeda and operating out of Jharkhand was allegedly preparing to launch terrorist attacks across India, the Delhi Police Special Cell said in a supplementary chargesheet filed in court earlier this week.
The chargesheet, submitted on April 21 in a Delhi court, outlines the group’s alleged activities, which included physical and weapons training, radicalization, and fundraising through government schemes. According to officials, the group trained in Uttar Pradesh, procured arms in Rajasthan, and coordinated operations from Ranchi.
Investigators claim the group radicalized its members by holding daily discussions on lynchings and communal violence in India. Recruits were motivated to take up arms and prepare for what they called jihad. Authorities allege that the group used funds from the PM-Kisan Yojana — a government scheme intended to provide financial support to farmers — to purchase weapons.
Training reportedly took place in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh, while arms training was conducted in Bhiwadi, located along the Rajasthan-Haryana border. Police recovered AK-47 rifles, grenades, pistols, rifles, and locally assembled explosive devices during the arrests.
The key accused include Dr. Ishtiaq Ahmed, alias Captain, along with ten others from different villages around Ranchi. Officials said Ahmed was radicalized during his college years and was in contact with a Telegram user operating under the alias “Big Cat” since 2021. This contact allegedly instructed him to mentally and physically prepare individuals for armed jihad.
“Ahmed was asked through chats to prepare people physically and mentally for jihad,” the chargesheet states. Witnesses told police that physical training sessions were organized in remote locations to avoid detection. During one such session in Bulandshahr, Ahmed reportedly met “Big Cat” in Delhi to discuss weapons procurement.
According to police, an arms dealer connected to “Big Cat” met the accused in Hazaribagh and sold an AK-47 for ₹5–6 lakh. The group is said to have rented a house in Bhiwadi for training and storing weapons and conducted weapons practice in nearby forest areas.
The accused were arrested on August 22, 2024, following the recovery of firearms, grenades, bomb-making materials, and locally crafted explosives made with gunpowder. A supplementary chargesheet has been filed, though some necessary sanctions under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act are still pending.
The case highlights the growing concern over homegrown extremism and the misuse of digital platforms and public welfare schemes to support terror-related activities.
