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The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday carried out searches at 20 places across nine states in connection with an online terror radicalisation case aimed at establishing an Islamic state in India through violent 'jihad' against the democratically elected government by promoting the ideology of ISIS and AQIS terrorist organisations.
Of the 20 places, the agency carried out searches at five locations in Uttar Pradesh, four in Andhra Pradesh, three in Maharashtra, two in Delhi, and one each in Bihar, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Gujarat, Telengana and West Bengal as part of the ongoing investigation in the case (RC-01/2026/NIA/VSKP). NIA said the searches led to the seizure of several digital devices, which will be forensically examined for further clues into the radicalisation conspiracy. NIA's Visakhapatnam branch registered the FIR on May 13 this year after taking over the case from Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh) Police. Eleven accused and one juvenile have so far been arrested in the case. The Vijaywada Police had originally registered the case in March following a search at the residence of key accused Rehmatullah Sharif Mohammad that resulted in the recovery of incriminating materials related to the banned terrorist organisations AQIS (Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent) and ISIS (Islamic State). NIA said, "The locations searched today were chosen on the basis of detailed technical analysis of the digital devices seized earlier, along with connectivity analysis of the arrested accused and other investigation findings." NIA, which is working to identify others involved in the plot to destabilise the country and establish a 'Caliphate', has found that the arrested accused and their aides were engaged in indoctrination of vulnerable youth across the country through violent jihadi content and misinformation. As per the anti-terror agency, the accused were also in online contact with their foreign handlers to propagate the "jihadi ideology" and promote the anti-India conspiracy. (ANI)
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