In an ongoing crackdown on radical terror groups, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) made searches at three places in Bhopal and two in Jhalawar on June 14 during its investigation into the Hizb-ut-Tahrir (HuT) terror conspiracy case. The operation was against an active network accused of radicalising and recruiting vulnerable youth to support extremist causes.
During the coordinated raids, the NIA confiscated several digital devices such as mobile phones, laptops, and storage media. These have been dispatched for forensic examination to expose key information like communication details, financial transactions, and personal connections to other conspirators.
The investigation, according to officials, focuses on HuT’s efforts to encourage young people to do jihad against India and install an Islamic government based on Sharia law, commonly referred to as ‘Gazwa-e-Hind’ instead of the democratically elected government. The agency is convinced the accused were part of a larger conspiracy to cause trouble and bring about violent extremism throughout the country.
The crackdown comes in the wake of the Indian government’s decision in 2022 to formally declare Hizb-ut-Tahrir and all its satellite organisations as terrorist bodies under Section 35 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The Ministry of Home Affairs had previously mentioned that HuT was heavily involved in instigating youths, recruiting them into worldwide terror groups such as ISIS, and mobilising funds for terror activities.
The NIA’s latest move is part of a larger effort to dismantle terror ecosystems that function on Indian soil. Investigators are now working closely with the digital evidence seized to chart out the entire scope of the network and discover more suspects, resources, and intended activities associated with the HuT module.
This new operation is added to a sequence of counter terrorism operations by Madhya Pradesh Police, such as earlier crackdowns on Hizb-ut-Tahrir and ISIS in May 2023. Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and outlawed Popular Front of India (PFI) in 2022.
Earlier Crackdowns against Terror Modules in MP
ATS arrested 11 suspects including professionals from Bhopal and Chhindwara
On May 9, 2023, during a major anti-terrorism crackdown, Madhya Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) and Telangana ATS raided several places in Bhopal and Chhindwara and arrested 11 persons associated with the extremist Islamic organisation Hizb-ut-Tahrir (HuT). The operation, conducted in the early morning, also resulted in the seizure of anti-national papers, computer gear, and extremist literature.
In accordance with the ATS, the arrests consist of professionals from different walks of life like a gym trainer, coaching teacher, tailor, labourer, auto driver, software engineer, computer technician, teacher-cum-businessman, and others. All residents of localities like Aishbagh, Shahjahanabad, and Lalghati. Identified by Madhya Pradesh Police as Yasir Khan, Syed Sami Rizvi, Shahrukh, Misbah ul Haq, Shahid, Syed Danish Ali, Mehraj Ali, Khalid Hussain, Wasim Khan, and Mohammad Alam, all of them were booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and other relevant charges.
The ATS also found that the HuT operatives set up clandestine training camps in deep forests where they engaged in target shooting exercises. The sessions were usually led by instructors from Hyderabad. Besides, they also conducted clandestine religious meetings where provocative speeches were made and extremist literature circulated.
Police investigations also showed that the group utilised encrypted communication apps such as Rocket Chat and Surespot (which they locally referred to as “Shrima”) that run on the dark web. These modes are also utilised by international terrorist organisations such as ISIS.
Five other suspects were detained from Telangana, taking the total number of those arrested from the two states to 16. The detained suspects were reportedly involved in the effort to expand HuT operations in India and were taking part in activities such as religious conversion, indoctrination, and operational training. They were responsible for enlisting new members, mobilising funds, collecting logistical assets, and disseminating the violent ideology of the organisation. Their final objective was to provoke jihad against Hindus and impose Sharia governance in India. HuT is dedicated to imposing Sharia law by means of terror and is a major threat to national security.
The suspects detained from Bhopal were from a variety of professional backgrounds, the intensity of radical outfit’s infiltration being deep. The suspects had been conducting reconnaissance patrols in the form of drones that scouted over a number of major Indian cities. The idea was to map cities and spot high-value targets as a precursor for large-scale terror operations. Fortunately, before their plans could be implemented, the ATS teams stepped in to take care of the threat.
Love Jihad and Conversion Network Exposed
The 2023 operation also revealed a pattern of religious conversions, ‘Love Jihad,’ and ideological indoctrination. Out of the eleven arrested accused, five of the accused were converted from Hinduism to Islam, namely Mohammad Salim (previously Saurabh Raj Vaidya (Jain)), Abdur Rehman (previously Devi Narayan Panda) and Mohammad Abbas Ali (previously Benu Kumar). Five of the suspects had married Hindu females, two of whom had converted to Islam just a few years ago.Teenagers, gym trainers, software engineers, teachers, and professors were reportedly among those involved in recruiting youth and conditioning partners through marriage and religion conversion.
One of the prime figures, Mohammad Salim, previously Saurabh Rajvaidya, had converted to Islam in 2010 and subsequently convinced his wife Mansi Agarwal to convert and become Rahila Khatun. Salim, who was a professor in Hyderabad, was charged with making inflammatory speeches and trying to radicalize others. The same was alleged against Abdul Rehman (a former Devi Prasad Panda from Odisha) and Mohammad Abbas (a former Bux Venu Kumar from Hyderabad), both of whom had been religiously converted and joined the HuT network.
Organiser met his parents in 2023 and talked in detail about his conversion to Islam and rise in such hatred for Hindus (Kaffirs).
The converted accused employed professional clout for the dissemination of extremist ideologies. The ATS also seized radical literature, anti-national material, and electronic items at the time of arrests.
These trends further point out HuT’s approach of infiltrating operatives into mainstream society to disseminate its ideology in the form of personal and religious decisions.
ISIS Module Bust in Jabalpur
In a major build-up to the current crackdown on Hizb-ut-Tahrir (HuT), the National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted a large-scale operation on May 26 and 27, 2023, against an ISIS-affiliated terror module active in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. The late-night raids at 13 spots led to the arrest of three radicalised men: Syed Mamoor Ali, Mohammad Adil Khan, and Mohammad Shahid. These people were reportedly engaged in spreading ISIS propaganda on the internet as well as through face-to-face “Dawah” sessions.
The accused were not only planning jihad, the NIA said, but also trying to acquire weapons and recruiting young people through social media and end-to-end encrypted platforms. Adil Khan was already under surveillance by the NIA since August 2022 and was found to be running several online platforms in order to attract new recruits. His partner Syed Mamoor Ali had also established a local cell named ‘Fisabilillah’ and was in touch with an illegal arms dealer of Jabalpur. On the raids, the agency recovered weapons, banned ammunition, digital data, and incriminating papers.
This ISIS module bust occurred weeks ahead of the Madhya Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) busting the Bhopal-Hyderabad-based HuT network in a joint intelligence-based operation. These incidents highlight the increasing presence of Islamist radicalisation in central India.
ATS had busted a Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) module
In March 2022, the ATS had busted a module of Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and arrested three Bangladeshi nationals. In September 2022, 22 officials of the proscribed group Popular Front of India (PFI) were arrested. These steps have made Madhya Pradesh ATS a top player in anti-terror operations in all India.
A Rising Threat Beyond ISIS
Established in Jerusalem in 1952, Hizb-ut-Tahrir now has its operational base in London and is rated by most intelligence agencies to be more dangerous than ISIS because of its advanced indoctrination and clandestine expansion techniques. The group operates in more than 50 nations, with strong presence in Central Asia, South Asia, Europe, and Southeast Asia, especially in Indonesia, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.
The HuT is an extremist Islamic organisation that has been outlawed in 16 countries, such as China, Germany, Russia, Bangladesh and Turkey. The organisation plans to bring Islamic Shariah governance instead of a democratic system of governance in India. In order to fulfil their sinister agenda the organisation began operating in pieces and parts in Madhya Pradesh state. The intention of the members of HuT was to spread the concept of Islam among young people and demonstrate to them that the present system of governance is a failure and anti-Islamic. The members wished to form a rebel party by filling their heads with falsehood.
The fight of the government against HuT continues with many affiliates getting nabbed every now and then.
