The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has interrogated an 18-year-old NEET aspirant from Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, in connection with a suspected terror radicalisation network linked to Mumbai. The youth was questioned for nearly eight hours and is summoned again on April 22 for further inquiry. Multiple electronic devices were seized during the operation.
In a joint effort with the Uttar Pradesh ATS, Maharashtra ATS officials searched a residence in Varanasi and questioned the aspirant regarding a terror-related radicalisation case. The investigation took place at the residence of a doctor in the Hanuman Phatak area. The teen, son of a local paediatrician, was probed about his alleged involvement in an online network under scrutiny.
Officials suspect the teenager of having ties to a digital network associated with the banned Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). The probe was initiated following the arrest of Ayan Sheikh, a computer engineering student from Mumbai, under the UAPA. Forensic analysis of devices linked to Ayan Sheikh revealed a broader network operating through encrypted platforms, leading investigators to Varanasi.
The focus of the inquiry is on a suspicious digital trail related to a Telegram group involved in extremist activities. It was found that the Varanasi teenager’s account was part of this network. Ayan Sheikh, the doctor’s son, and others from various states were reportedly active on a Telegram channel named “Islamic Politics” and multiple WhatsApp groups sharing anti-government and anti-national content.
