NIA Conducts Raids in UP, 3 States in Pak-backed Terror Module Case; Phones, Incriminating Docs Seized

The National Investigating Agency (NIA) conducted simultaneous raids in four states on Sunday where it seized incriminating documents and digital devices in connection with the Pakistan-backed Ghazwa-e-Hind terror module case.

The raids were conducted at the premises of suspects in Dewas district of Madhya Pradesh, Gir Somnath district of Gujarat, Azamgarh district of Uttar Pradesh and Kozhikode district of Kerala, leading to the seizure of incriminating documents and digital devices.

The raids revealed links of the suspects, whose premises were searched today, with Pakistan-based handlers. During the raids, mobile phones, SIM cards and several documents were seized by the federal agency.

These suspects were in contact with the handlers and were involved in propagating the radical, anti-India idea of Gazwa-e-Hind, it said.

The raids were part of the ongoing investigations in the case RC- 32/2022/NIA-DLI, commonly referred to as the Gazwa-e-Hind case, Patna (Bihar).

The case was initially registered on July 14 last year by the Phulwarisharif police in Bihar, following the arrest of Marghoob Ahmad Danish alias “Tahir” who was the administrator of the WhatsApp group Ghazwa-e-Hind, created by a Pakistani national identified as Zain.

The official said the accused, Tahir, had added many people from India as well as other countries, including Pakistan, Bangladesh and Yemen, to the group, which was also active on other social media platforms such as Telegram and BiP Messenger.

“Aimed at radicalizing impressionable youths in the name of establishment of Ghazwa-e-Hind over the territory of India, the group was being operated by Pakistan-based suspects,” the spokesperson said.

The case was initially investigated by Bihar Police, who filed an FIR against one Marghoob Ahmad Danish. In July 2022, NIA took over the investigation from Bihar Police and a chargesheet has already been filed against Danish by the anti-terror agency under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.