Madhya Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad has neutralised a major security threat in the State capital by arresting a local youth, Mohammad Faraz, for his alleged involvement in planning a lone-wolf terror attack. Acting on sensitive intelligence inputs, security personnel apprehended Faraz from near the Nanhe B Mosque in the Kabarkhana-Kazi Camp area of Bhopal. Following his arrest, the accused was produced before the district court, which remanded him to police custody until June 16 to facilitate a deeper investigation. During custodial interrogation, Faraz confessed to maintaining active communication for over five years with Naeem Abdullah, a resident of Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh who operated out of Deoband. Security agencies established that Abdullah served as the key facilitator who introduced Faraz to a network of Pakistani handlers operating across encrypted messaging applications.

 

Following these disclosures, the Special Task Force police station in Bhopal registered a formal case against both Faraz and Abdullah under Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023, alongside Sections 13(1)(b) and 18 of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act 1967. Radicalisation process and target killing plots: Investigators revealed that Abdullah heavily radicalised the Bhopal-based suspect by holding up the example of a slain Pakistani militant, Khalid Saifullah, prompting Faraz to adopt this name as an alias for his clandestine operations. Under the direct instructions of his Pakistani handlers via Telegram and WhatsApp groups, Faraz pledged unconditional allegiance to execute terror plots, including targeted killings designed to spread public panic and recruit other local youths. Logistical preparations for overseas combat training: The digital footprint analysed by security agencies showed that the handlers had instructed all group operatives to secure valid passports to facilitate travel to Pakistan via transit countries for specialised combat training. Faraz had already obtained his passport in compliance with these orders.

 

To keep the recruits motivated, the handlers routinely circulated high-definition video footage showcasing the training modules of Indian Mujahideen operatives across their closed chat groups. The investigation has exposed a deeper conspiracy to execute the banned Popular Front of India’s subversive ‘Mission 2047’ agenda. The Pakistani handler reportedly administered an oath to the recruits, declaring a total rejection of India’s democratic system. The network planned to simultaneously distribute firearms to trained fighters across the country at a designated time to uproot the Indian administration and implement Sharia law. Multiple digital documents and Jihadi literature seized from Faraz’s mobile phone have fully corroborated these operational plans. Divided opinions among local residents: The sudden arrest of Faraz has triggered widespread panic across Congress Nagar and Kazi Camp, with neighbours expressing starkly contrasting views about his character.

 

Some local residents, speaking on the condition of anonymity, revealed that Faraz was highly active on social media platforms, frequently sharing and discussing hardline religious ideologies. Conversely, other neighbours described him as an educated, polite, and deeply religious individual who generally kept to himself and avoided public confrontations. Financial crisis and deserted family residence: By Saturday morning, the family residence of Faraz was found locked, with neighbours reporting that his family members had left the premises shortly after the arrest. Local inquiries revealed that the family was battling extreme financial hardship. His father, Mohammad Firoz, formerly worked as a vehicle seat cover stitcher but is currently unemployed. To make ends meet, Faraz worked as a compounder at a local medical clinic, while his wife took home tuitions to help support their three-year-old daughter.