Andhra Pradesh police arrested three individuals on suspicion of promoting extremist ideology and maintaining links with handlers based in Pakistan, officials said. The arrests were carried out in Vijayawada by the Task Force along with the Counter Intelligence wing following specific intelligence inputs.
The accused, identified as Mohammad Rahmatulla Sharif (23), Mirza Sohail Baig (23), and Mohammad Danish (27), are residents of Vinchipeta Narayanaswamy Street, Abdul Jaak Street, and Bhavanipuram Indira Priyadarshini Colony, respectively, in Vijayawada.
According to Andhra Pradesh police, the trio was active on social media platforms including Instagram and Telegram, where they allegedly shared and circulated radical Islamic content. Investigators suspect that they were also involved in attempts to recruit youth for jihadi activities.
Rahmatulla Sharif, who works as a Rapido and Uber driver, is reported to have searched online for methods related to bomb-making, with such browsing data recovered from his mobile phone. Sohail Baig is employed at a biryani hotel, while Danish works at a unit in Autonagar, Vijayawada.
The three were apprehended near their residences in the Vijayawada Two Town area on March 23, as part of a coordinated surveillance operation tracking online extremist propaganda.
Police officials stated that preliminary findings indicate the involvement of a wider network of around 10 members operating across the country. The group is suspected of attempting to influence and radicalise youth through digital platforms.
Digital devices and other electronic equipment have been seized for further analysis. A case has been registered at the Two Town Police Station in Vijayawada, and further investigation is underway to establish links with terrorist organisations and determine the extent of their activities.
In May 2025, the NIA arrested two individuals Siraj-ur-Rehman (29) from Vizianagaram, Andhra Pradesh and Syed Sameer (28) from Bhoiguda in Hyderabad, Telangana, for allegedly planning bomb blasts using improvised tiffin box explosive devices.
Investigators stated that the suspects were acting under instructions from ISIS handlers based in Saudi Arabia. According to officials, the duo, along with four other operatives from Karnataka and Maharashtra, had formed an encrypted group on Instagram to coordinate the conspiracy. The group is said to have held a three-day meeting in Hyderabad to plan the attacks and assign roles, with two members tasked with assembling explosive devices and others assigned to identify potential targets.
