The National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted searches in various states regarding an online terror radicalisation case aiming to establish an Islamic state in India through violent jihad. Simultaneous searches were carried out at 20 locations in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Delhi. These searches were part of the ongoing investigation under case RC-01/2026/NIA/VSKP.
During the operation, digital devices and electronic data storage systems were seized for detailed forensic examination to uncover evidence related to the alleged radicalisation network. The NIA has arrested 11 accused individuals and one juvenile in connection with the case. The agency took over the investigation from Vijayawada Police due to initial findings suggesting a broader terror conspiracy with potential interstate and international links.
The case, initially registered by Vijayawada Police in March, involved a search at the residence of the main accused, Rehmatullah Sharif Mohammad. Recovered incriminating material linked to terrorist organizations AQIS and ISIS led to a deeper probe into the suspected radicalisation network. The recent searches were based on technical and forensic analysis of previously seized digital devices, along with connectivity analysis of the arrested accused and intelligence inputs to identify potential links to the conspiracy.
Investigators discovered that the arrested individuals and their associates were involved in radicalising vulnerable youth across the country through extremist propaganda dissemination, violent content, and misinformation on online platforms. The probe also revealed that some accused had foreign-based handlers and were promoting extremist ideology with an anti-India agenda. Efforts are ongoing to identify other individuals associated with the conspiracy, which aimed to destabilise the country and establish a “Caliphate” through violent methods.
