Rampur: On January 27, the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested Faizan Shakeel Salmani, a 22-year-old resident of the Charpul area in Navsari, on terrorism-related charges. Salmani is originally from Dudwala village in Uttar Pradesh’s Rampur district.
Following his arrest, new details have emerged about his alleged activities. Investigators claim Salmani had links with the banned terrorist organisations Jaish-e-Mohammed and Al-Qaeda. According to Gujarat ATS officials, he had also drawn up a list of seven individuals he intended to target, which reportedly included well-known figures from Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.
The list reportedly included cow vigilantes Daksh Chaudhary, Abhishek Thakur, Gaurav Rajput, Dr Prakash, Yudhi Rana, Akku Pandit, and Vikrant. Investigators said Faizan had also shared a post in which he spoke about killing these seven individuals, using the phrase “Kutte ki Maut.” In the post, he allegedly wrote that the seven would be killed “in such a way that the whole world will be watching.”
According to the ATS, the accused confessed that he was in contact with terrorists and banned organisations such as Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba, and was prepared to carry out attacks at their instructions. Investigators recovered 29 pages of literature written in Urdu and Arabic from his possession.
The ATS also traced an Instagram account linked to him under the name “al.faizangaza.” Based on his social media posts and chat records, officials revealed that he had been in touch with an individual identified as “Mohammed Abubakar” on Telegram and WhatsApp for the past six to seven months. This person allegedly facilitated his connection with an Islamic fundamentalist group.
On Instagram, the accused allegedly shared provocative videos, statements, and literature linked to banned terrorist organisations such as Jaish-e-Mohammed and Al-Qaeda. Investigators said he was deeply influenced by terrorists Masood Azhar and Rauf Asghar, and had expressed his willingness to kill or even die for them.
A forensic examination of his mobile phone uncovered disturbing material, including images of a black Islamic flag superimposed on the Red Fort, maps depicting Kashmir as a separate entity, “Azad Kashmir” flags, and documents titled “2026 Overview: Muslim Territories Under Kuffar Occupation.” The ATS also recovered content intended to radicalise young people, including material circulated under headings such as “Why Al-Qaeda?”
The ATS said Salmani was arrested following specific intelligence inputs from a residence near the Aqsa Masjid in Navsari’s Jharawad area. A pistol, along with six live cartridges, was recovered from his possession. During questioning, he reportedly confessed that he had procured the weapon from Uttar Pradesh about six months ago and had planned to target individuals he believed had insulted the Prophet.
