“If my son was working with terrorists, he should face the death penalty. We are ready to make this sacrifice for the country. We will not question it, but there must be no injustice,” said Mazharul Hasan, father of suspected terrorist Ashhar Danish, arrested in Ranchi, Jharkhand. Hasan, a lawyer, stated that his family had no inkling of Danish’s activities. Danish had visited home just two days before his arrest, lacking even the fare from Ranchi to Bokaro.
Ashhar Danish, linked to a Pakistani handler orchestrating an ISIS module in India, was detained by Delhi Police’s Special Cell on September 8, at New Tabarak Lodge, Lower Bazar, Ranchi. Five other suspected terrorists, Aftab Nasir Qureshi, Mohammad Huzaif Yemen, Sufiyan Abubakar Khan, and Kamran Qureshi alias Samar Khan, were arrested from Delhi, Telangana, and Madhya Pradesh. Police describe Danish as the mastermind, responsible for recruiting Indian youth for ISIS, scouting locations for potential training camps, and planning terror operations across the country.
Delhi Police Special Cell Additional Commissioner of Police (ACP) Pramod Kushwaha revealed that Danish had been under surveillance for over six months. “He was in direct contact with a Pakistani handler and had formed a group he named ‘Gazwa Leader’, ‘Gazwa’ referring to jihadists. While inspired by ISIS, they were operating under instructions from abroad,” Kushwaha said.
Police investigations revealed that Danish recruited Indian youths using aliases such as CEO, Professor, and Gazwa Leader. The Special Cell recovered chemicals and materials used to make improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The group’s broader plan reportedly included establishing a caliphate in India, training recruits, conducting target killings, and carrying out terrorist acts. “More than ten suspects were interrogated, and, based on solid evidence, five arrests were made. The Pakistani handler had strictly instructed them not to reveal their activities to family or anyone close,” the ACP added.
Investigators say Danish began consuming radical content in 2021, particularly videos by Dr Israr Ahmed, which shaped his path toward jihad. Initially, he recruited youths through Omegle, a platform for anonymous video calls and chats. Following Omegle’s closure in 2023, Danish moved to Instagram and WhatsApp, forming private groups to reach potential recruits.
Danish’s activities intensified from January 2025, after moving out of his younger brother’s residence in Ranchi. During this period, he learned to make bombs and maintained continuous contact with the Pakistani handler. Danish and Kamran Qureshi scouted land for establishing a terrorist training camp, intending to expand the ISIS module in India.
Delhi Police Special Cell officials stated that Danish had ordered chemicals such as sodium bicarbonate and sulphur powder online, along with items like a pH scale and copper sheets, confirming suspicions of bomb-making. Following these leads, the Special Cell conducted operations across Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana, Delhi, and Jharkhand, culminating in the arrest of five suspects from different states.
On September 9, two accused, Aftab Nasir Qureshi and Sufiyan Abubakar Khan, were arrested near Nizamuddin Railway Station in Delhi with two semi-automatic pistols and 15 cartridges. Interrogation and intelligence gathering led to a joint operation on 10 September across Ranchi, Thane, Bengaluru, Nizamabad, and Rajgarh, resulting in the arrest of mastermind Ashhar Danish in Ranchi. IED components were also recovered from his residence.
ACP Kushwaha explained that Danish coordinated weapons procurement through Aftab and Sufiyan, who obtained pistols from the Mewat network in Haryana. Meetings reportedly took place at the Waste to Wonder theme park near Sarai Kale Khan, Delhi.
Ghazwa-e-Hind is a jihadist campaign aimed at Islamising the Indian subcontinent, where recruited youths, called Ghazis are trained for target killings and terrorist attacks. Danish’s module reportedly followed this model, brainwashing young recruits via WhatsApp groups, planning bombings, and plotting targeted attacks.
Investigators are examining possible links between Danish’s network and a similar Ghazwa-e-Hind module exposed in Patna in 2023, possibly involving the same Pakistani handler.
Mazharul Hasan said that the family was unaware of Danish’s involvement in extremist activities. “He was not upset with us about anything. We are a middle-class family and always supported his studies. Danish had completed a BA and PG honours in English, taken the stenographer exam, and was preparing for a PhD alongside NET and UPSC. Who misled him? We have no information,” Hasan said.
He added that Danish lived with his younger brother in Ranchi from January 2024 while preparing for exams. Later, Danish moved to a separate room, during which he reportedly became radicalised. “What happened after that? How was he brainwashed? We don’t know. If he is guilty, he should face the death penalty,” Hasan said.
Investigations indicate that Danish and the other arrested suspects were influenced by radical videos by Dr. Israr Ahmed and two or three extremist clerics. A similar incident occurred in 2023 in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, where four youths were arrested for jihadi activities after watching Israr Ahmed’s content. Families reported that the youths were isolated, regularly watched radical videos, and were encouraged to recruit others, highlighting systematic indoctrination.
The arrests of Ashhar Danish and four others expose a sophisticated network of radicalisation operating across multiple states, orchestrated by a Pakistani handler. Police say the ongoing investigation could reveal further links with international jihadist modules. ACP Kushwaha emphasised that continuous surveillance, intelligence gathering, and rapid action prevented potentially catastrophic attacks.
