Hyderabad: The Andhra Pradesh Police have arrested 38-year-old Sayeeda Begum, a single mother from Hyderabad with around 38,000 Instagram followers, for her alleged involvement in an interstate terror module.
Police claim she was engaged in online radicalisation and the recruitment of young individuals across multiple states. Following her arrest on March 25, Vijayawada Police reportedly uncovered plans to form a women’s wing of a terror organisation called “Khawateen,” with Sayeeda allegedly positioned to lead it.
Investigators further allege that the group intended to train women recruits in firearms, sniper rifles, and explosives for attacks across India. Sayeeda, who also worked as a domestic help, is suspected of facilitating recruitment efforts within the network and is said to have influenced around 42 women.
Alleged Online Radicalisation Network
According to the FIR, Sayeeda was allegedly active in online groups that circulated videos of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and speeches by controversial preachers such as Zakir Naik and Israr Ahmed. The groups were also said to be sharing propaganda material linked to ISIS and Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS).
An intelligence official claimed the network had links to Pakistani handlers and terror outfits, including ISIS and AQIS. Sayeeda is believed to have worked alongside Rahamathullah Sharif, the alleged mastermind of the module, along with his associates, who were arrested in March.
Sayeeda has denied all allegations. Her lawyer maintains that she did not create any groups and was added to them without her consent. Police, however, say she told investigators she had received an Instagram and WhatsApp link around 7–8 months ago, which later led her into a group sharing ISIS-related content.
An intelligence officer said Sayeeda Begum is a resident of Chanchalguda in Hyderabad and was allegedly abandoned by her husband. She had been living with her parents and her six-year-old son.
An investigating officer further alleged that Sayeeda encouraged members of her online groups to circulate “jihadi” videos and literature. She reportedly lived with her elderly parents and child in a modest two-room rented house in the Chanchalguda area. A neighbour told The Indian Express that she worked as a domestic help in two or three households to support her family and was generally reserved, keeping to herself and rarely interacting with others. The neighbour also said her mother had mentioned she spent much of her time on her phone.
Sayeeda was earlier married to a painter, but after the birth of her son, she reportedly separated from him and obtained a divorce around four years ago.
To sustain her household, she began working as a domestic help and later started creating short-form videos, including food preparation reels from her home. She also visited local tailors and seamstresses to produce promotional reels, reportedly earning between Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 whenever her content generated customer orders for those businesses.
