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The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday conducted searches at five locations across Telangana in connection with a 2025 cyber terrorism case registered in Ahmedabad, officials said.
The searches are part of an ongoing investigation into the alleged cyber terrorism activities and are aimed at gathering evidence related to the case. The search operation is continued inclose coordination with the NIA teams, covering places in Telangana's Peddapalli area, among others linked to suspects. The agency is examining digital devices, documents and other material that could help establish the activities and possible links of those under investigation, officials said. The case pertains to an alleged cyber terrorism conspiracy reported in Ahmedabad in 2025. The NIA took up the investigation to identify the individuals and networks involved and determine the broader ramifications of the suspected activities. More details about the search operation and the material recovered are awaited. The agency is expected to continue its investigation based on the evidence gathered during the searches. Earlier, the NIA had filed a charge sheet before the NIA special court in Gujarat's Ahmedabad against accused Jasim Shahnawaz Ansari in the case (RC-01/2025/NIA/AMD) relating to acts of cyber terrorism through Denial of Service (DoS) attacks on websites of critical government infrastructure. The case was initially registered by the Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS), Gujarat, after uncovering a conspiracy between a Juvenile in Conflict with Law (JCL) and the accused to launch multiple Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks on various Central government and state government websites between March and May 2025. As per the NIA, the accused also posted anti-national content on a Telegram channel. Following orders from the Ministry of Home Affairs, the case was re-registered by the NIA, Ahmedabad unit. NIA's investigation revealed that the accused, in coordination with the JCL, used advanced hacking tools, anonymising technologies (including Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), and encrypted platforms to execute the attacks. The anti-terror agency said the accused publicised these attacks online, sharing screenshots and inflammatory messages in retaliation to India's "Operation Sindoor" against Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, with the intent to threaten the country's unity, integrity, and sovereignty. NIA said the digital forensic analysis confirmed the accused's role in orchestrating a planned, ideologically motivated cyber offensive, coupled with his efforts to train others in unlawful cyber techniques while concealing identities to evade law enforcement. In continuation of proceedings against the JCL before the Juvenile Justice Board in Gujarat's Nadiad, the NIA has now filed a charge sheet against Jasim Shahnawaz Ansari under Section 66F of the Information Technology Act, 2000 read with Section 61(2)(a) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, 2023. (ANI)
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