On May 9, Madhya Pradesh Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) raided multiple locations linked to the radical Jihadi outfit Hizb-Ut-Tahrir (HuT) Islamists. ATS arrested 11 persons linked to the organisation from two cities in MP, and Telangana Police arrested five others from Hyderabad on the information given by the MP police. ATS has recovered anti-India documents, electronic equipment, radical literature, and other material from the accused during the raids. They have been booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (UAPA) and relevant Sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
MP Police, in its press release, stated that the members of the group were using drones to do recce of the areas that they had marked for the attacks. Furthermore, the members of the organisation included a coaching centre owner, a teacher, a private firm employee, a tailor, an auto driver, an engineer and more.
ATS conducted raids in Shahjahanabad, Aishbagh, Lalghati and Piplani areas of Bhopal, from where ten people were arrested. One person was arrested from Chindwada.
Similar raids have been conducted before against organisations like Popular Front of India and Jamaat-e-Mujahiddin (Bangladesh) on the instructions of MP Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. 22 PFI Islamists were arrested during those raids.
List of people arrested from Madhya Pradesh
- 29-year-old Yasir Khan, resident of Shahjahanabad. He works as a gym trainer.
- 32-year-old Sayed Sami Rizvi, resident of Millennium Habitat, Shahid Nagar. He works as a coaching teacher.
- Shahrukh, resident of Jawahar Colony, Aishbagh, Bhopal. He works as a tailor.
- 29-year-old Misbah Ul Haq, resident of Housing Board Colony, Aishbagh, Bhopal. He works as a daily labour.
- Shahid, resident of Jawahar Colony, Aishbagh, Bhopal. He works as an auto driver.
- Sayyed Danish Ali, resident of Sonia Gandhi Colony, Aishbagh, Bhopal. He works as a software engineer.
- 25-year-old Mehraz Ali, resident of Masood Bhai’s house, Aishbagh, Bhopal. He works as a computer technician.
- 40-year-old Khalid Hussain, resident of Barela village, Lalghati, Bhopal. He works as a teacher and as a business.
- Wasim Khan, resident of Umrao Dulha, Aishbagh, Bhopal.
- 35-year-old Mohammad Alam, resident of Moormehel, Imambada Police Station Area, Bhopal.
- Kareem, resident of Chindwada. He works in a private firm.
Radical outfit Hizb-Ut-Tahrir
As per the press release by MP Police, Hizb-Ut-Tahrir has a network in over 50 countries. It has been banned in over 16 countries. The organisation wants to establish Sharia Law in India. It was establishing its roots in India and had started recruiting youth in the organisation. They brainwashed youth by teaching them that the current regime is against Muslims.
The arrested members of the organisation reportedly organised camps in the forest to give close combat training to its cadre. They also taught them how to shoot weapons. The experts from Hyderabad used to train the cadre during these camps. During these secret camps, they used to hold religious meetings where youth was brainwashed with radical speeches and literature. They identified youth who were not afraid of giving their lives to the organisation. The organisation’s members used dark web apps like Rocket Chat, Thrima and others to communicate. Organisations like ISIS commonly use these apps.
The organisation recruited Muslim youth and prepared them to launch Jihad against Hindus. The members of the organisation were also asked to collect money. They planned to attack cities and crowded places to spread fear among the public. MP Police said they had already marked several metro cities for their attacks. Hizb-Ul-tahrir Islamists used drones to do recce in these areas and prepared maps for possible attacks.
