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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

Youth are not with you, you are just doing politics, Shrikant Shinde attacks the opposition

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During the debate in the Lok Sabha on the amendment bill to prevent irregularities in public examinations, Shiv Sena MP Dr. Shrikant Shinde lashed out at the opposition. He said that while the Modi government is taking decisive steps to secure the future of the youth, the opposition is merely playing politics over the students’ woes. Dr. Shinde remarked that the anger expressed by the youth should not be seen as a mere protest but as the beginning of a systemic change. No single exam determines the entire life of a student. If a student does not succeed in an exam, he should not despair but focus on the future of his life, his family and the country.

Urging the youth to draw inspiration from the life of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, he said that Shivaji Maharaj laid the foundation of Hindu Swarajya by conquering his first fort at the age of just sixteen. Today’s youth also have the power to change the nation. Only the right direction and a strong system are needed. Dr. Shinde said that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government has not only condemned the incidents of paper leaks but has also taken concrete steps to clean up the entire system. Citing the moral accountability of the government, he pointed out that Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned from his post, and now, through this amendment bill, arrangements are being made for fast-track courts so that the accused in the paper leak case are punished at the earliest. He stressed that the government’s aim is not just to imprison the culprits but to save a precious year of millions of students. Stressing the need for educational reforms, Dr. Shinde said that the result of years of hard work and the fulfillment of dreams of families should not depend on a single three-hour exam. Students should get the opportunity to appear for the exam several times a year. The government should also take steps towards developing a question bank system, reducing the increasing mental pressure on students and implementing effective regulations for the coaching industry. He said that the Mahayoti government in Maharashtra has taken a historic initiative to provide free education to the economically weaker sections and girls belonging to EC-BC categories. This government is not just making laws but is committed to comprehensive reforms in the education system. Attacking the opposition hard, Dr. Shrikant Shinde remarked that those who are now claiming to champion the youth failed to go to Jantar Mantar during the 37-day-long student protest. They feared the emergence of a new political alternative. Now, seeing their political platform slipping, they have started doing politics in the name of the youth. He challenged the opposition to first clarify whether the youth are really with them. Inciting the emotions of the students, abusing the government, and spreading misinformation does not offer any solution to the problem. In a democracy, the government interacted with the students, listened to their concerns, and even withdrew the cases registered against them in several instances. This shows the strength of democracy and the sensitivity of the Modi government. Dr. Shinde stressed that this amendment bill is not just a law to stop paper leaks but is a firm commitment to secure the future of millions of youth, ensure transparency in the examination system and bring about educational reforms. The opposition should put aside politics and stand in support of the youth of the country and their future. During the parliamentary debate on the Examination Reforms Bill, Shiv Sena MP Dr. Shrikant Shinde said that comprehensive reforms are needed in the examination system of the country. He pointed out that conducting important examinations like NEET only once a year puts unnecessary pressure on lakhs of students. Dr. Shinde noted that many students miss the examination due to illness, family reasons or other circumstances, with students from rural areas facing more difficulties in particular. In such a situation, they lose an entire year. He suggested that serious consideration should be given to conducting the NEET examination more than once a year. In many countries, such examinations are held twice a year. Implementing a similar system in India will give students a second chance and reduce mental stress. Dr. Shinde said that the systems governing not only NEET but also other competitive exams should be updated with the changing times to ensure fair and better opportunities for students.

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Maharashtra

Terror in Mumbai! Zulfikar gang accused of demanding a week’s notice from a builder and killing him, Mumbai Crime Branch action, 12 goons arrested

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Mumbai: The Mumbai Crime Branch has claimed to have arrested gangster Zulfikar Behlim and his brother Mohsin Behlim for demanding a ransom of Rs 25 lakh from a builder. Both of them had demanded a ransom of Rs 25 lakh from the builder and also threatened to kill him. In this regard, the builder had registered a case against gangster Zulfiqar and his brother, including 12 gangsters. Crime Branch Unit 9 laid a trap and arrested these 12 accused while collecting the ransom. A case has been registered against the accused under the Extortion and Arms Acts. The court has ordered the accused to be remanded till July 31. Zulfikar and Mohsin had created terror in Mumbai city and suburbs and had also tried to demand ransom from several builders. Therefore, the police have appealed that if this gang has demanded ransom from anyone, they can register a complaint against them with the police and the Crime Branch. This action was taken by Mumbai Police Commissioner Devin Bharti Joint Police Commissioner Anil The investigation was carried out by Kanbhare DCP Nunath Dhole and Crime Unit In-charge Sachin Pranak.

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Maharashtra

Chona Bhatti MCOCA and murder suspect arrested from Navi Mumbai

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Mumbai: Crime Branch has claimed to have arrested an accused wanted in murder and MCOCA at Chunabhatti Police Station in Mumbai. He was hiding in Navi Mumbai, adjoining Mumbai, hiding his identity. The Mumbai Crime Branch received information about this. The Crime Branch conducted a raid in Kharghar, Navi Mumbai and arrested the absconding accused, Swastik Sawant, 32. A case was registered against him at Chunabhatti Police Station in 2023 and he was hiding in Sindhudurg, Goa, Chennai, Rajasthan, and Delhi areas. Crime Branch Unit 6 started searching for the accused in this regard and then information was received that he was hiding in Navi Mumbai, after which he was arrested. This operation was carried out by DCP Nunath Dhola of Mumbai Crime Branch.

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