Four Suspects Arrested in Uttar Pradesh for Plotting to Form 'Mujahideen Army' and Overthrow Indian Government

Four individuals were apprehended by the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on Monday for allegedly plotting to establish a "Mujahideen Army" with the intention of overthrowing the Indian government through means of "violent jihad" and implementing Sharia law, according to official reports.

Intelligence sources revealed to the ATS that these suspects were under the influence of radical Pakistani organizations and were conducting meetings at various locations. Additionally, they were actively engaging on social media platforms to disseminate extremist ideologies.

The officials stated that these individuals were reportedly accumulating funds to acquire weapons and were planning targeted assassinations of prominent non-Muslim religious leaders in the immediate future, as mentioned in an official statement issued in Lucknow.

On Monday, the ATS filed a case under applicable legal provisions at their Lucknow police station and arrested four men identified as Akmal Raza from Sultanpur, Safeel Salmani (also known as Ali Razvi) from Sonbhadra, Mohammad Tausif from Kanpur, and Qasim Ali from Rampur.

During initial questioning, they allegedly confessed to planning a jihad against "kafirs" as retaliation for perceived injustices against Muslims, with the aim of establishing Sharia law across the country, according to the statement.

Officials reported that they were also attempting to radicalize individuals, gather jihadi literature, and propagate extremist ideology.

The ATS confiscated five mobile phones, Aadhaar and PAN cards, debit and credit cards, and a PhonePe scanner from their possession.

According to the ATS, they will request police custody from the court to conduct further investigations to identify any associates and facilitators connected to these suspects.