Lucknow: A 19-year-old dental student was arrested in Uttar Pradesh over his alleged links with an online module of the banned terror outfit ISIS, officials said on Monday. Haarish Ali, a resident of Saharanpur district, was arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), in Moradabad on Sunday. He was held during an ongoing investigation into activities of ISIS-linked online networks operating in India, a statement from the ATS said.
Acting on intelligence inputs, the ATS launched a probe into the claim that some individuals in Uttar Pradesh and other parts of the country were trying to propagate ISIS ideology through online groups, to establish a Sharia-based caliphate system and recruit people to strengthen the terror outfit in India.
Ali, a second-year BDS student, was allegedly associated with ISIS handlers and sympathisers through social media platforms such as Instagram and encrypted applications like Session and Discord, according to officials.
Propaganda materials, including extremist literature and instructions related to ISIS activities, were shared online by these groups.
A case was registered at the ATS police station in Lucknow under relevant sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the statement said.
The probe revealed that the accused allegedly created several groups using pseudonyms and virtual private networks (VPNs) to recruit like-minded individuals and circulate ISIS propaganda, it said.
A separate group named “Al Ittihad Media Foundation” was also run by the accused who also used to maintain contacts with individuals linked to ISIS networks in India and abroad.