CHIKKABALLAPUR: The Chikkaballapur police have arrested a 23-year-old youth for allegedly hatching a conspiracy to carry out destructive activities in the country. The accused Shabbir had reportedly group on the Telegram app to discuss about carrying out terror acts.
Shabbir, originally a resident of Bapujinagar, believed that there is no survival for Muslims in the country with mosques being demolished. He was initially hitting likes on terror posts on Instagram, befriended those who made positive comment on it and created his own Telegram group where, it is said, he had made plans to build terrorist team.
According to Police Superintendent Padmini Sahoo, Shabbir was liking and commenting on posts related to extremist content on social media. Following this, the intelligence department had collected information about his social media activities. His terrorist activity started from likes and comment on Instagram to discussion about destructive acts in closed group of Telegram.
Shabbir was caught in an operation conducted based on information of intelligence department. Police are now continuing investigation regarding chats in his mobile and group members. During this time provocative messages have been found in closed groups police have informed.
According to the SP, discussions have taken place regarding carrying out destructive acts in the country in the Telegram group. To fund the terror activitis, the group members discussed about kidnapping rich persons and collecting ransom. Discussions have also taken place regarding attacking influential political leaders in the country including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
The police are looking into who were members in the Telegram group, in which parts of country they are, how they got in touch with Shabbir, what is nature of message exchange taken place in group, among other things. A case has been registered under BNS Section 113 in the Chikkaballapur town police station.
“Provocative messages have been found in the closed group of social media. We have registered case and arrested accused based on provocative messages. More investigation is needed regarding accused background, case related. We will take him into police custody and interrogate accused further. We have registered suo motu case at Chikkaballapur town police station. We will collect complete information of messages in the mobile and conduct further investigation”, the SP added.
Meanwhile, Shabbir’s family have claimed that he is being falsely accused of terrorism. Shabbir’s brother Zakir said, “We don’t know what happened to my brother. He has done mistake unknowingly. Police have arrested my younger brother. We don’t know what he has done in the Telegram group. He is very crazy about cricket and wasnot mixing with people and kept to himself.
Mother Mumtaz said, “My son is not a person who will indulge in terrorism. He likes cricket very much. He is not one who does any mistake, arrest those who were conspiring for terrorism”.
