In a significant legal development in the ongoing investigation into an inter-state radicalisation module, the Special Court in Bhopal on Tuesday issued divergent custodial orders for the primary suspects. Produced under heavy security before the court of Mukesh Malik, the first arrested suspect, Mohammad Faraz alias Saifullah, was remanded to fourteen days of judicial custody and subsequently sent to the Bhopal Central Jail. Conversely, the court granted the Madhya Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad a four-day custodial remand of his close associate, Naeem Abdullah, until June 20 to facilitate deeper interrogation into his regional networks. Bihar madrasa operator apprehended as fourth suspect: The geographical footprint of the counter-terrorism probe expanded significantly with the arrest of a fourth suspect, Izhar Ulhaq, from Madhubani in Bihar. Detained during a joint operation executed by the Madhya Pradesh ATS, Bihar ATS, and local police, Ulhaq is identified as the oldest member of the alleged module arrested so far. Investigators revealed that Ulhaq operated a local madrasa in Madhubani. Following his arrest, he was produced before a local Bihar court, which granted a transit remand to transport him to Madhya Pradesh for detailed interrogation regarding his suspected recruitment role.

 

Multi-State police co-ordination targets operatives: The ATS has successfully established a highly co-ordinated web of arrests spanning four states, arresting four key operatives within a week. While Faraz was nabbed from Kazi Camp in Bhopal on June 12, his disclosures led to the immediate arrest of Naeem Abdullah Qureshi from Nanauta in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, and Mohd Shakir from Alwar, Rajasthan. Both Qureshi and Shakir are currently undergoing intensive interrogation under active ATS remand until June 20. The multi-state operation has involved active co-ordination between the anti-terrorism units of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force, and central intelligence agencies. Forensic scan focuses on encrypted communication channels: Investigating agencies are currently executing comprehensive forensic audits of the seized mobile phones, digital storage media, and electronic communication channels recovered from the suspects. Preliminary technical analysis indicates that the accused were part of a highly secure online group managed by a Pakistan-based handler utilising encrypted messaging applications.

 

Security officials established that Naeem Abdullah had introduced Faraz to this closed online group approximately two years ago, leveraging their past acquaintance from their time studying together at a madrasa in Deoband, Saharanpur. The ATS is mapping their financial transactions and social media footprints to dismantle any remaining sleeper cells.