A dentistry student in Uttar Pradesh has been arrested for alleged links to an ISIS online module, raising concerns about online radicalisation and recruitment tactics in India.
The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has arrested a 19-year-old student pursuing dentistry for allegedly having links with an online module of the banned terror outfit ISIS, officials said on Monday.
Haarish Ali, a resident of Saharanpur district, was arrested in Moradabad on Sunday during an ongoing probe into activities of ISIS-linked online networks operating in India, a statement from the ATS said.
The second-year BDS student is alleged to have been associated with ISIS handlers and sympathisers through social media platforms such as Instagram and encrypted applications like Session and Discord, officials said.
According to the ATS, intelligence inputs indicated that some individuals in Uttar Pradesh and other parts of the country were creating online groups to propagate ISIS ideology aimed at establishing a Sharia-based caliphate system and recruit people to strengthen the terror outfit in India.
The groups were allegedly used to share propaganda materials, extremist literature and instructions related to ISIS activities.
Based on the inputs, a case was registered at the ATS police station in Lucknow under relevant sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the statement said.
During the investigation, it was found that the accused allegedly created several groups using pseudonyms and virtual private networks (VPNs) to recruit like-minded individuals and circulate ISIS propaganda, it said.
Officials said the accused also ran a separate group named "Al Ittihad Media Foundation" and maintained contacts with individuals linked to ISIS networks in India and abroad.