GANGTOK: In a development that has sent shockwaves through the peaceful hill state of Sikkim, a 19-year-old man has been arrested in Gangtok for spreading the ideology of the banned terror outfit Islamic State (ISIS) on social media. “This is the first such case in the state. We have been monitoring the situation closely watching the development”, said a senior Sikkim police official who doesn’t want to share more details.
The arrested Islamist has been identified as Md. Arju. He has been booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) — a law reserved for cases involving terrorism and threats to national security. The arrest has raised serious questions about the reach of online radicalisation, even in states that have largely remained untouched by extremist influence.
Sikkim police received intel inputs a month ago regarding the circulation of extremist content online with the apparent intention of influencing young people. An Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed to root out the jihadi module in the state.
The SIT quickly zeroed in on an Instagram account called “Group of Islamic Members,” which was allegedly being used as a platform to spread Islamic State propaganda. Officers tracked the account and its members, eventually detaining six persons for questioning. Out of the 6 detained persons, 19 years old Md. Arju was found to be the prime suspect of jihadi network and Sikkim police formally arrested him based on several pieces of evidence.
Police said Arju’s answers during interrogation were evasive and unconvincing. That prompted investigators to search his belongings. What they found was alarming. A mobile phone, a laptop, an iPad, and several other electronic devices were seized from his possession. The mobile phone, in particular, contained material that investigators described as incriminating. His accounts on Instagram, X, and Telegram allegedly carried names and content that pointed directly to Islamic State affiliation.
But perhaps the most troubling discovery was a set of WhatsApp conversations found on his phone — conversations that involved Pakistani mobile numbers. Investigators are now working to establish who those contacts were and what the nature of those exchanges involved.
The “Group of Islamic Members” Instagram account was not just a space for sharing ideology, according to police. Investigators found that discussions within the group extended to far more dangerous territory — including conversations about funding Islamic terrorist organisations and the circulation of counterfeit currency.
Arju has been charged under the UAPA, the Information Technology Act, and relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The five other individuals who were detained alongside him have been released on bail bonds, but all five have been named in the First Information Report (FIR) and remain part of the investigation.
Sikkim police top brass have made clear that the probe is far from over. Investigators are working to map the full extent of the jihadi network and determine how many people may have been involved in or influenced by the online activities linked to the group.
