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India
In a major crackdown on terror-linked activities, the Jharkhand Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) arrested four individuals, including a woman, for alleged connections to banned extremist organisations Hizb ut-Tahrir (HuT), Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), and ISIS.
According to an official ATS release, the arrests were made following intelligence inputs. Raids were conducted across suspected locations in Dhanbad district on April 26. During the operation, two pistols, 12 cartridges, multiple electronic devices like laptops and mobile phones, and a significant quantity of extremist literature were recovered.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Ghulfam Hasan, Ayan Javed, Shahzad Aalam, and Shabnam Parveen. A criminal case has been registered at the ATS police station in Ranchi, and further investigations are underway.
This incident marks India’s first criminal case after the Union government banned Hizb ut-Tahrir under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) on October 10, 2024. HuT, known for propagating extremist ideologies, was recently designated as a terrorist organisation by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Meanwhile, political reactions have surfaced in Jharkhand. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) State President Babulal Marandi expressed serious concerns regarding alleged infiltration by Bangladeshi nationals. Marandi alleged that Aadhaar cards were being issued to around 3,000 Muslim children in Chakulia, East Singhbhum — an area where no Muslim families reportedly reside.
Taking to X, Marandi wrote, “Bangladeshi infiltrators are now rapidly settling outside Santhal Pargana in Kolhan as well. The creation of Aadhaar cards for 3,000 Muslim children in a village with no Muslim families is a serious threat to Jharkhand’s internal security.”
The Jharkhand ATS continues its investigation, while calls for tighter security and scrutiny over illegal immigration have intensified across the state.
