A 24-year-old youth has been arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) for allegedly maintaining secret links with Pakistan-based terrorist organisation Jaish-e-Mohammad and carrying out anti-national activities.
The arrested youth has been accused of collecting donations in the name of a madrasa and sending that money to Pakistani handlers to carry out subversive operations in India.
In a press release issued on Monday, the ATS stated that the youth, identified as Mohammad Zafar, a resident of Mirganj village under Rauta police station in Purnia district of Bihar, was apprehended from Meerut on Sunday.
The investigating agency, based on intelligence inputs and analysis of the accused’s social media accounts, revealed shocking details.
According to the ATS, Zafar was regularly spreading provocative and violent speeches of Jaish chief Masood Azhar on social media in an attempt to influence the youth towards violent activities. During interrogation, he admitted that while studying at a madrasa in Meerut, he got attracted towards Jaish and was inspired by Masood Azhar’s ideology. He had set a goal of becoming a ‘Mujahid’.
Investigators recovered details of several Pakistan-based subversive WhatsApp groups from Zafar’s mobile phone.
Zafar, who used to spread extremist ideology on Facebook with his face covered, later joined a Jaish network and established direct contact with Pakistani handlers. After his attempt to directly transfer money to a bank account provided by the Pakistani handler failed, the ATS confirmed that he used the cryptocurrency platform ‘Binance’ and USDT to send funds to the Pakistani handler multiple times.
A serious case has been registered against arrested Mohammad Zafar under Sections 152 and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Sections 18 and 38 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
The ATS informed that the accused has already been produced before a court in Lucknow for further judicial proceedings.
