The accused in the Vijayawada terror network case were reportedly aiming to enhance the operations of AQIS and ISIS in India under the guidance of foreign handler Al-Hakeem Shukoor. During the past five days, five out of the 12 arrested suspects, including a woman, disclosed their intentions to Andhra Pradesh Police and the Counter-Intelligence Cell. They confessed to planning terror activities within India.
Mohammad Rahamatullah Sharif, Md. Danish, Mirza Sohail Baig, Sayeeda Begum, and Abdul Salam shared details of their alleged schemes to carry out terrorist acts in the country. These individuals, all residents of Vijayawada, Hyderabad, and Bellary, revealed that they established contact with Shukoor through social media.
The accused acknowledged having Jihadi inclinations, which intensified after connecting with Shukoor. They admitted to trying to expand AQIS and ISIS activities in India, inciting youth to engage in suicide attacks. The suspects formed a group named ‘Al-Malik Islamic Youth’ and created Instagram and Telegram groups under the alias ‘BENX COM’ to recruit members willing to participate in terror activities.
On Shukoor’s instructions, the accused sought to attract youth to join terror activities, with plans to send them for training in Pakistan and Afghanistan. They aimed to transform India into an Islamic nation, intending to replace the national flag with that of ISIS. The suspects, directed by Shukoor, also planned to establish a women’s wing led by Sayeeda Begum and train recruits in various weapons to spread terror in India.
The investigators probed the accused about their attraction to Jihadi activities, interactions with foreign handlers, plans for terror attacks, and the ‘BENX COM’ groups. The police apprehended Rahamatullah Sharif, Danish, and Sohail Baig, with Sayeeda Begum and other suspects arrested subsequently. The accused faced charges under UAPA, BNS, and the IT Act, with further interrogations of the remaining suspects expected to uncover additional details about the alleged terror plots.
