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The rising number of arrests and investigations involving Islamic clerics – Maulvis and Maulanas for alleged terror-linked activities across India from 2015 to 2025 is a grave concern that demands uncompromising national attention. These incidents highlight a disturbing pattern where individuals entrusted with religious leadership appear to be misusing their influence and places of worship as hubs for radicalisation and planning anti-national acts.
While the vast majority of Muslim clerics are law-abiding patriots, the persistent security breaches involving a few raise critical questions about the source and nature of jihadist indoctrination on Indian soil. It suggests that foreign-sponsored extremist ideologies are finding fertile ground and institutional support in certain sections of society, often masked by religious teaching. This trend confirms the growing threat of “homegrown” radicalism being fostered by radical elements within the clergy, necessitating a robust crackdown on all institutions, including madrasas and associated networks, that fail to demonstrate complete transparency and commitment to Bharat’s sovereignty. The nation must prioritise national security over political correctness to decisively neutralise this dangerous pipeline of religious extremism.
Rajasthan ATS arrests maulvi linked to Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)
On November 7, 2025, in Jalore, Rajasthan, the Rajasthan Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) apprehended Maulvi Osama Umar from Sandkhor village. The arrest exposed his alarming four-year-long association with the officially banned terror organisation, Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan. Maulvi Umar was found to be in direct contact with handlers operating across the border, attempting to radically indoctrinate Indian youth through online channels. This incident confirms the deep penetration of foreign-backed jihadist ideology into local religious structures, raising serious questions about the vulnerability of Indian youth to online radical recruitment driven by vested interests within the clergy.
NIA and ATS operation detains three maulvis for international terror links
A significant counter-terror operation was carried out jointly by the National Investigation Agency and the Rajasthan ATS on October 31, 2025, across Jodhpur and Jaisalmer. The co-ordinated raids resulted in the arrest of three Maulvis: Ayub, Usman, and Masood. These clerics were detained for confirmed connections with international terrorist networks. The law enforcement teams seized a trove of incriminating evidence, including mobile phones, laptops, and various documents. Authorities are intensely interrogating the suspects to unearth the hidden sources of terror funding, expose intricate communication links, and identify potential sleeper cell activities operating out of the religious schools (madrasas) connected to the arrested individuals.
Cleric arrested in Mangaluru for attempting to revive banned PFI via WhatsApp
In Mangaluru, Karnataka, on October 12, 2025, the Mangaluru Police acted swiftly to arrest cleric Maulana Syed Ibrahim Tangal. Tangal was caught mobilising former members of the outlawed fundamentalist organisation, the Popular Front of India (PFI), by using a clandestine WhatsApp group named “Salman Salma.” This action demonstrates a blatant disregard for national security regulations and highlights the desperate attempts by banned extremist groups to re-activate their anti-national network by exploiting digital platforms and the influence of religious leaders to coordinate their unlawful activities.
Gujarat Maulvi under probe for ties to Pakistan-based WhatsApp groups
In Amreli, Gujarat, on May 3, 2025, the Gujarat Police’s Special Operations Group detained Maulvi Mohammed Fazal Abdul Aziz Sheikh, a religious teacher from a madrasa in Himkhimdipara, Dhari. Sheikh was detained because he was an active member of eight different WhatsApp groups directly linked to hostile nations, including Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh. Furthermore, he was unable to provide valid identification, and his phone contained evidence of deleted messages that coincided suspiciously with the timing of the recent Pahalgam terror attack. This case points to the potential role of certain clerics in facilitating cross-border communication and spreading extremist narratives, necessitating a thorough investigation into the communication networks operating within some madrasas.
NIA team faces violent resistance during arrest of Maulvi Khalid Nadvi in Jhansi
On December 12, 2024, a joint operation by the NIA and ATS in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, to question Maulvi Khalid Nadvi regarding foreign funding and online radicalisation faced alarming resistance from the local population. In the Super Colony area, locals formed a “human barricade” and engaged in a scuffle with law enforcement officers, actively attempting to prevent Nadvi’s lawful arrest. This incident is a stark example of how radicalised elements within a community are willing to physically defend individuals accused of anti-national activities, posing a direct challenge to the state’s authority and underscoring the success of the radical elements in poisoning local loyalty.
Gujarat police bust terror module plotting political assassinations, maulvi arrested
The Gujarat Police achieved a major security success on May 17, 2024, in Surat, Gujarat, by busting a terror module planning the assassination of prominent political leaders across the country. Three individuals, including Maulvi Sohail, were arrested in the joint operation with the NIA. The recovery of two voter identity cards from the Maulvi, alongside the discovery that the group was part of a larger terror network, suggests a calculated effort to use violence to incite unrest and destabilise the nation through targeted killings of dissenting voices.
Maulvi Sohail Abu Bakar, arrested for plot to kill Nupur Sharma, found linked to global terror networks
In a chilling precursor to the above case, the Gujarat Police’s crime branch arrested 27-year-old Maulvi Sohail Abu Bakar Timol from Surat on May 4, 2024. Timol was plotting to assassinate Nupur Sharma and others he deemed “blasphemers.” The investigation exposed his extensive international contacts with handlers in Pakistan and Nepal, the use of a foreign SIM card, and the management of a terror-linked WhatsApp group spanning countries from Indonesia to Kazakhstan. Most disturbingly, Timol was accused of receiving instructions and a promised reward of Rs1 crore for the targeted killings, demonstrating a mercenary motive fueled by radical dogma and confirming the deep reach of foreign elements into local religious structures.
Al-Qaeda linked maulvi captured in Assam, sleeper cell concern mounts
Assam Police made another critical arrest on August 26, 2022, capturing Maulvi Hafizur Rahman from Jogighopa in Bongaigaon, Assam. Rahman was directly linked to the global terrorist entities Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) and the Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT). His primary activities involved radicalisation and recruitment in the region. This arrest was the fourth AQIS-linked capture in Assam within a single week, dramatically highlighting the escalating threat of extremist sleeper cells operating under the guise of religious personnel in the vulnerable border states.
Delhi police detain maulana Anzar Shah for aiding Al-Qaeda recruitment for Pakistan and Afghanistan
In Delhi on November 17, 2021, the Delhi Police’s Special Cell arrested Maulana Anzar Shah, a madrasa teacher from Bengaluru, for the insidious crime of brainwashing youths and dispatching recruits to Pakistan and Afghanistan for Al-Qaeda training. Shah’s crucial role in AQIS was revealed during the interrogation of another operative. He used VOIP calls to communicate with key AQIS members and delivered hate speeches to motivate recruits, demonstrating how positions of religious instruction are being systematically misused as a conveyor belt for international jihad.
Maulana Kaleem Siddiqui arrested for forced conversion and terror activities
Maulana Kaleem Siddiqui was arrested in Faridabad, Haryana, on September 24, 2021, following a complaint from a youth alleging that he was coerced into converting to Islam and changing his name to Noor Mohammad while he was still a minor, all under Siddiqui’s direction. An FIR was registered against Siddiqui and five associates on serious charges, including forced religious conversion. This case exposes the alarming link between the institutionalised practice of alleged forced conversion and the wider network of terror-linked activities under investigation.
Al Qaeda Operative Maulana Kalimuddin Mujahiri Arrested in Jamshedpur
On September 22, 2019, the Jharkhand Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) apprehended Maulana Kalimuddin Mujahiri from his home in Mango Jawaharnagar, Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, for being an active member of Al-Qaeda. The arrest confirmed his deep involvement in the terror network’s expansion, particularly through his links with operatives like Abdul Sami, Abdul Rahman Katki, and Naseem Akhtar. Mujahiri was instrumental in recruiting and spreading Al-Qaeda’s ideology across Jharkhand and Delhi. The seizure of his property, following a prior court order, underscores the severity of using residential and presumably religious spaces as centres for anti-national recruitment.
NIA raids Srinagar separatist leaders and maulvis over Pakistan-linked terror funding
A massive counter-terror operation was launched by the National Investigation Agency on February 26, 2019, targeting seven locations in Srinagar, J&K. The raids specifically targeted key separatist figures, including Yasin Malik, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, and others, as well as Maulvi Manzoor and Maulvi Shafat. These searches were part of an ongoing investigation into terror funding networks allegedly linked to Pakistan-based handlers and militant groups. The inclusion of religious figures like Maulvi Manzoor and Maulvi Shafat highlights the critical role played by certain segments of the clergy in financing militancy and subversive activities, such as stone-pelting, which destabilise the region and threaten Indian sovereignty.
Odisha police arrest Al-Qaeda linked maulvi Abdul Rehman, unearthing wide recruitment network
In a crucial inter-state operation on December 16, 2015, the Odisha Police and Delhi Police jointly arrested 37-year-old Maulvi Abdul Rehman from Jagatpur, Cuttack, Odisha. Rehman was a central figure linked to Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent and was actively engaged in recruiting operatives for the terror group across multiple states, including Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Karnataka. The investigation into seized devices and his passport revealed potential international connections, including to Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Dubai, confirming that these terror-linked clerics serve as vital conduits for a global jihadist network operating with impunity within Bharat.
The overwhelming evidence from these arrests confirms that the alleged terror links involving Maulvis and Maulana are not isolated incidents but represent a systemic ideological infiltration aimed at undermining India’s security and social fabric. The consistent findings of plots involving political assassinations, forced conversions, terror funding (linked to Pakistan), and recruitment for Al-Qaeda prove that positions of religious authority are being weaponised. The resistance faced by NIA teams during arrests further highlights that this radicalisation has created pockets of resistance against the rule of law. To decisively safeguard the nation, the government must move beyond political hesitation and undertake a stringent overhaul of institutions and networks exploited by these extremist clerics, prioritising national security by severing the deep-seated nexus between religious influence and international terror modules.
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