Mp Ats Arrests Bihar Madrasa Operator In Radicalisation Module Case 4 Held So Far

was made on Monday from Bihar's Madhubani district.

"Izhar Ulhaq , the oldest member of the alleged module arrested so far, was apprehended from Madhubani with the assistance of the Bihar ATS and local police. He runs a madrasa there," an official told PTI on condition of anonymity.

Ulhaq was produced before a Madhubani court and would be brought to Madhya Pradesh on transit remand, the official said.

"He is expected to be brought to Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday. It is premature to say whether he was the kingpin of the module, taking into account his age. His role will become clearer after questioning," the official added.

The first arrest in the case was made on Friday when the MP ATS apprehended Bhopal resident Mohd Faraz from the city's Qazi Camp area.

Subsequently, the ATS arrested two more men allegedly linked to the radicalisation module, Nayeem Abdullah Qureshi from Nanauta in Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur district on Friday and Mohd Shakir from Rajasthan's Alwar district on Sunday.

Qureshi was arrested in a joint operation involving the Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh ATS teams, the UP Special Task Force and central intelligence agencies, while Shakir was apprehended by teams of the MP and Rajasthan Anti-Terrorism Squads, he said.

According to investigators, the arrested men were allegedly part of a closed online group handled by a Pakistan-based operative through encrypted messaging platforms.

The case came to light after central intelligence agencies shared inputs about online groups allegedly being used by overseas handlers to radicalise and recruit individuals in India, sources said.

Investigators claimed Faraz, a graduate employed at a private homoeopathic clinic in Bhopal, had been in contact with members of the alleged network and was being influenced through online channels.

Qureshi had allegedly introduced Faraz to the online group around two years ago. The two had studied together at a madrasa in Deoband in UP's Saharanpur district, they said.

The ATS has seized electronic devices and digital material, including extremist literature and videos allegedly shared through the online group, the investigators said.

The probe was continuing to ascertain the nature and extent of the network, its links and any possible plans discussed among its members, officials said. Further details are expected to emerge as interrogation of the arrested men progresses, they added.

Faraz and Qureshi have been remanded to the MP ATS custody till June 16, while Shakir has been sent to the Anti-Terrorism Squad's custody till June 20, the sources said.

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