LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) arrested Azharuddin (22) member of banned terror group Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and associated with Al Qaeda India Sub-continent (AQIS) top commander.
The accused was summoned from Saharanpur to ATS headquarters based on intel inputs and surveillance. ATS said that he has been booked under the charges of unlawful activities prevention Act (UAPA) and concealing with intent to facilitate design to wage war.
Additional Director general of ATS, Naveen Arora, said that the accused used to radicalise innocents and spread jihadi literature. “We have recovered his mobile phone and sent it for a forensic examination,” said Arora.
Arora said that his arrest came during the interrogation with one Mudassir, who was arrested on October 11, this year.
“We will take Azharuddin on remand and then interrogate more about his networks,” said the officer.
ATS claimed that accused Azharuddin was actively working to spread Jihad in India and to radicalize the youth by showing Jihadi literature and videos and motivating them to join the ideology of AQIS and JMB terrorist organization.
ATS officials claimed that Azharuddin started associating with members of AQIS and JMB, from 2020.
ATS said that the arrested accused was in touch with Abdul Talha, a top commander of AQIS in India and wanted by the NIA and STF, West Bengal in multiple terror acts.
ATS said that Azharuddin used to sell helmets of two-wheelers at footpaths in Saharanpur and used to visit local madrassas. “He sat for class 12 examination but failed in one subject six years back since then did not take up study further,” an officer privy to the probe added.
So far 11 members of JMB and AQIS have been arrested by UP ATS starting September 2022.
