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Maharashtra

Pune ISIS Module: NIA Arrests Key Operatives After 2-Year International Manhunt

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Mumbai: In a major breakthrough, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday arrested two absconding accused Abdul Fayaz Sheikh and Talha Liyakat Khan who were identified as key members of a sleeper module of the banned terrorist organization ISIS. The arrests are linked to a 2023 case involving the fabrication and testing of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in Pune, Maharashtra.

The duo, who had fled the country in 2022 to evade arrest, were declared fugitives by the agency. The NIA had announced a cash reward of ₹3 lakh each for information leading to their capture. Acting on intelligence inputs, the Bureau of Immigration intercepted the accused at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (Terminal 2) when they arrived from Jakarta, Indonesia, where they had been hiding. They were immediately taken into custody by the NIA team and are expected to be produced before a special NIA court shortly.  

According to investigators, the duo had meticulously planned their escape after the ISIS module operating out of Pune was busted in 2022. That crackdown led to multiple arrests, including that of Shamil Nachan, son of convicted terrorist Saquib Nachan, who had been designated the Amir-e-Hind (chief of ISIS in India).  

Sources revealed that both accused fled along with their families. Talha Khan’s wife and infant daughter left for Oman on May 2, 2022, followed by Khan himself on August 12. Likewise, Fayaz Sheikh’s wife and two children departed for Oman on June 12, while Sheikh left on July 15. Their coordinated flight with their families complicated the investigation and necessitated sustained diplomatic and intelligence cooperation with foreign agencies.  

The NIA sources stated that both Sheikh and Khan were radicalized and were working under the instructions of the Ratlam-based ISIS module “Al Sufa,” led by arrested mastermind Imran Khan. Acting on his direction, the duo played a key role in organizing a secret IED workshop in Pune and inviting other ISIS operatives to participate.  

The accused were actively involved in propagating the violent and extremist ideology of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and engaged in preparatory acts of terrorist violence, including recruiting individuals to the organization. They had also pledged allegiance (Bayat) to the self-styled Khalifa (leader) of ISIS.

According to the NIA, both Abdul Fayaz Sheikh and Talha Liyakat Khan, along with eight other members of the ISIS Pune sleeper module who are already under arrest and in judicial custody, had conspired to carry out terrorist acts aimed at disturbing India’s peace and communal harmony. The agency stated that the group intended to wage war against the Government of India in pursuit of ISIS’s radical objective of establishing Islamic rule in the country through violence and terror.

According to the NIA chargesheet, the investigation into the ISIS Pune terror module uncovered a secret workshop for the fabrication, creation, and testing of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) held at a shop owned by accused Fayaz Sheikh. Sheikh, widely known as “Diaperwala” for running a diaper store in Pune’s Kondhwa area, hosted the clandestine session in April 2022.All members of the Pune ISIS terror module including arrested accused Zulfikar Ali Barodawala, Mohammed Imran Khan, Mohammed Yunus Saki, Simab Nasiruddin Kazi, and Abdul Kadir Pathan, among others reportedly participated in the workshop.   

Arrested accused Shamil Nachan and Akif Nachan traveled to Pune carrying explosive chemicals and processed powder to participate in the IED manufacturing and training exercise. The duo stayed overnight at Sheikh’s residence along with the explosive materials during their visit.  

Another suspected absconding accused, Talha Liyakat Khan, is also a resident of Pune and is associated with Fayaz Sheikh (Diaperwala). He too is believed to be a participant in the ISIS Maharashtra terror module and played a major role in organizing the IED workshop.

According to reliable sources, both Fayaz Sheikh and Talha Liyakat Khan were radicalized and, under the instructions of the Ratlam-based ISIS terror module, “Al Sufa,” mastermind and arrested accused Imran Khan arranged the IED workshop and invited other terror suspects to participate. Once intelligence confirmed their presence in Oman, the NIA initiated extradition proceedings through the Ministry of External Affairs, sharing all necessary documentation and case files with Omani authorities. Officials believe that their custody and interrogation will help unravel the full extent of the ISIS-linked network and the group’s operational plans in Maharashtra and beyond.  

The case forms part of a broader investigation into ISIS modules operating in India, with several arrests already made and multiple digital devices, explosive materials, and radical literature seized during raids. 

Maharashtra

Gadchiroli : After the surrender of commander Bhupati alias Sanu and 60 Maoists with weapons, the Naxalites got a shock, confidence in government was restored : Devendra Fadnavis

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Mumbai: The end of Maoists in Maharashtra is near. In Gudchiroli, a prominent Maoist, Venugopal Malujo alias Bhupati alias Sonu, who was active in many places, has surrendered along with his associates. 60 Maoists have surrendered before the Gudchiroli police, which is a big success for the Maharashtra Police. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has said that the Naxalites have been eliminated from the state’s Gadchiroli area and many Maoists have surrendered and they have returned to the right path and normal life. Their faith in the Constitution of India and the administration has been restored. It is a great blessing that the Naxalites have been eliminated from the state. Soon, the 10 to 15 Maoists who are hiding in the forests will also surrender. He said that Bhupati had expressed his desire to surrender. The police were in touch with him and then he expressed his desire that he wanted to surrender to me. So I said that I am ready to go to the forest too. But Bhupati was brought here and today Bhupati has surrendered. This is a big success. With the efforts of the central and state governments, the Naxalites have now become unstable and weak, which is why many Naxalites have surrendered before.

Fadnavis has said that the red terror has ended, the surrender of Naxalites from the borders around Gudchiroli is certain, due to the crackdown on Maoists from Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka and other borders, Maoists have either surrendered or repented from Naxalism to a large extent. He said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah’s dream of a Pakistan-India relationship with the Naxalites is being realized in shame. Bhupati was a Maoist who was the backbone and ideological ideology of the Maoists. His surrender will further strengthen the police operation. He said that it is the result of the hard work of all the senior officers including Maharashtra Police DGP Rashmi Shukla and the officers involved in the Naxal operation that the Maoists’ back has been broken today. Fadnavis said that there was a reward of Rs 6 crore on the Naxalites and now this Maoist has been brought back to the right path.

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Maharashtra

Firing in Ghatkopar : Armed man enters Darshan Jewellers, creating sensation in the area, police are actively searching for the accused.

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Mumbai: A shooting incident in Ghatkopar, Mumbai has created a sensation. A shooting incident was carried out here for robbery, after which the police reached the spot and conducted a panchanama. An armed man entered a shop in Ghatkopar Darshan Jewellers to commit a robbery. There, he put a knife to the throat of the complainant and fled. The police have started an investigation into the matter and have started searching for the unknown robbers. DCP Rakesh Ola said that an armed man had entered the shop and threatened the complainant by putting a knife to his throat. After the entry of armed unknown persons into Darshan Jewellers, a sensation spread in the area and questions have been raised about law and order. The shooting at 10:30 am has caused panic in the area. The police have formed teams in this matter and have started searching for the unknown robbers. So far, no one has been arrested in this case. At present, the police have refused to say anything more about this. DCP Rakesh Ola denied the shooting incident and said that the gunman at Darshan Jewellers had targeted the complainant and put a knife to his throat. The police are investigating the matter further.

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Maharashtra

Hafiz Tauseef Ansari arrested for links to Pakistani terrorist organization, other terrorist organizations mislead and trap youth: Investigative agencies claim

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After a raid by the Andhra Police ATS and the local police station in Malegaon, Mumbai, the police have claimed to have arrested a suspected youth from the Nomani Nagar area. The above-mentioned youth was active on social media and along with his activities on social media, he was in contact with the enemy country Pakistani terrorist organization. The accused has been arrested on this allegation. Along with this, a case has also been registered against the accused in the Dharmapur Town Police Station in Andhra. Maharashtra ATS and intelligence agencies have also interrogated him. The accused has been identified as Hafiz Tauseef Aslam Ansari. He is a tailor by profession and was also active on social media. Whether he came in contact with the Pakistani terrorist organization knowingly or intentionally, or he knew about it, the police are investigating him. The arrest of Hafiz Tauseef has created a sensation in Malegaon. After the arrest of Tauseef in Malegaon, the police have also seized his mobile phone and other documents and have also expanded the scope of the investigation. An investigation is underway to determine whether he has any criminal case registered against him, along with his suspicious activities and the number of times he has provided information related to India to terrorist organizations. His social media accounts are also being examined and monitored. Earlier, the Maharashtra ATS had arrested several youths, including a young PIO on charges of having links with Pakistani intelligence operatives. Many youths have also been trapped in the PIO’s honey trap. The PIO’s method is such that first the PIO regularly talks to an Indian citizen and the girl then makes her pictures and pornographic videos public. After threatening to make the pornographic chat public, they lure him with money and transfer money to the account. In such a situation, the intelligence agencies are obliged to take action against such youths. There are many youths who unknowingly fall for this misleading propaganda and get badly trapped. Therefore, one should remain alert and avoid the misuse of social media.

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