The Gujarat Anti Terrorist Squad has arrested a young man for allegedly being involved in a terror conspiracy after investigators found him radicalised by the ideologies of banned organisations Jaish-e-Mohammed and Al Qaeda, officials said on Tuesday.
The accused has been identified as Faizan Shaikh, also known as Faizan Shakil Salmani, a native of Dundawala village in Rampur district of Uttar Pradesh. He was living in the Charpul area of Navsari district in Gujarat and working as a tailor. He was arrested on Sunday following specific intelligence inputs received by the Gujarat ATS.
According to officials, Shaikh had allegedly procured illegal weapons and ammunition and was planning targeted killings to create fear and unrest. An ATS officer said that after being influenced by extremist ideologies, the accused was preparing to attack selected individuals, though operational details were not disclosed for security reasons.
Investigators said the operation began after intelligence suggested that Shaikh was conspiring to carry out attacks in Uttar Pradesh and was also involved in online activities promoting violent separatist ideas related to Jammu and Kashmir. During technical surveillance, ATS officials identified a suspicious social media account allegedly operated by the accused, which was used to share extremist content.
After his arrest, Shaikh’s mobile phone was seized and examined. Officials said the digital data recovered included material supporting banned terror groups, images and messages calling for violence, and alleged target lists containing names and photographs of individuals marked for attack. Some content reportedly glorified terror organisations and promoted calls for jihad.
During searches, the ATS also recovered one pistol and six live cartridges from Shaikh’s possession. Officials said they also found radical literature in Urdu and Arabic, which, according to translations, encouraged youth to join terror outfits and engage in violent activities.
During interrogation, the accused allegedly admitted that he had been in contact with another person, identified as Mohammed Abu Bakar, through messaging platforms for several months. He also claimed to have joined online groups where violent propaganda was shared and where individuals were allegedly identified for killing. Investigators said Shaikh confessed to purchasing the weapon in Uttar Pradesh around six months ago for carrying out these attacks.
The arrest comes at a time of heightened alert in Gujarat following the earlier arrest of three other individuals in November in a separate terror-related case. That case involved an alleged plan to carry out a large-scale attack using weapons and toxic substances, including ricin.
The Gujarat ATS said the accused has been booked under relevant sections of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and the Arms Act. Officials added that further investigation is underway to identify other possible links and suspects connected to the alleged terror network.
