Pramesh S Jain
A 20-year-old man from Uttar Pradesh has been arrested by Davangere police on suspicion of maintaining contact with foreign handlers involved in online radicalisation activities, prompting an investigation into possible terror-related links.
The accused,identified as Suhail (20),had arrived in Harihar about 15 days ago in search of work and was employed as a painter at a private factory.
He was staying in a rented house within the jurisdiction of the Harihar Rural Police Station.
Addressing the media on Tuesday,Davangere Superintendent of Police Shekhar H.T,said the arrest was made following credible intelligence inputs received by local police.
“Based on credible information,Harihar Rural Police secured a 20-year-old suspect from Uttar Pradesh.
He had come to Harihar around 15 days ago in search of employment and was working as a painter in a private factory while staying in a rented house,”the SP said.
He further said a Harihar Rural Police sub-inspector noticed suspicious behaviour while on patrol and questioned the youth.
His inability to provide satisfactory answers led officers to conduct a detailed verification of his background and digital activities.
“Upon enquiry,he could not answer the questions raised by our police sub-inspector.
When we checked his antecedents and mobile phone, we found that he was in touch with certain Foreign entities regarding terror-related activities through social media platforms,”Shekhar said.
A preliminary examination of the suspect’s mobile phone allegedly revealed communication with foreign-based handlers and participation in online radicalisation groups operating through social media and messaging applications.
Based on the findings,police registered a case and arrested him.
No Organisational Link Established Yet:
Police clarified that,at this stage,investigators have not established any connection between the accused and a specific terrorist organisation.
“As of now,there is no association with any organisation. However,he appears to have been in contact with handlers through social media platforms.
It is too premature to draw conclusions before a complete analysis of his mobile data is carried out,”the SP said.
Investigators are now conducting a comprehensive forensic analysis of the suspect’s phone and online communications to determine the extent of his activities and identify any other individuals who may have been in contact with the same network.
Associates Being Verified:
Police said Suhail had travelled to Karnataka with a group of around ten workers from Uttar Pradesh.
Authorities are now verifying their identities, backgrounds and possible links to the accused.
“We are investigating all angles,including whether there are other persons connected to this group.
The complete social media data will be analysed before any conclusions are drawn,”Shekhar added.
Possible Link to Tumakuru Case Under Scanner:
Investigators are also examining whether Suhail has any connection to a recent case registered in Tumakuru, where two men were arrested for allegedly communicating with a Pakistan-based handler through social media.
On June 4,Tumakuru police arrested Allabakash of Tumakuru and Zamir Khan of Davangere,alleging that they were in contact with a Pakistan-based individual identified as “Rana.”
Police had claimed that chats recovered from their devices suggested discussions on communal radicalisation and plans to recruit more individuals for possible terror activities.
However, SP Shekhar cautioned against drawing any link at this stage.
“Only after analysing the complete mobile data can we determine whether he was in touch with suspects involved in previous cases,”he said.
Police said local investigators are handling the case and are likely to seek assistance from central agencies as the probe progresses.
The investigation remains at a preliminary stage, and officials said further arrests or questioning of associates cannot be ruled out depending on the outcome of the digital forensic analysis.
