Ranchi, April 28 : The Jharkhand Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested four individuals in Dhanbad district on Saturday for their alleged links to banned terrorist organisations including Hizb ut-Tahrir (HuT), Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), and Islamic State (ISIS), officials said.
The arrested suspects were identified as Gulfam Hasan, 21, of Alinagar, Bank More; Ayaan Javed, 21, of Aman Society, Bhuli; Md. Shahzad Alam, 20, of Aman Society, near Bhuli Bypass; and Shabnam Praveen, 20, of Shamsher Nagar, Bhuli.
Authorities seized two pistols, 12 cartridges, several mobile phones, laptops, and a large cache of documents and books linked to extremist groups during the raids conducted across Wasseypur, Bank More, and Bhuli areas of Dhanbad.
“Confidential information was received that individuals associated with HuT, AQIS, ISIS, and other banned organizations were misleading local youths via social media, promoting religious extremism, and conducting anti-national activities,” the Jharkhand ATS said in a statement.
A criminal case has been registered at the ATS headquarters in Ranchi under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). This marks the first criminal case in India following HuT’s ban under UAPA in 2023 for its alleged role in radicalising youth towards violent jihad, officials said.
According to the ATS, the suspects were involved in the illegal arms trade and used the dark web to connect with international terror networks. They were also reportedly spreading extremist ideologies via encrypted messaging platforms and social media.
“After verification of the inputs, it came to light that individuals associated with these organisations were engaged in illegal arms trade and conducting anti-national activities,” the ATS said.
The raids were conducted under heavy security and supervised by senior officers, including Deputy Superintendent of Police (Law and Order) Naushad Alam.
The arrests come amid heightened security measures nationwide following a terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22, which killed 26 tourists.
Further investigations are underway, the ATS said.
