The ATS said the four were associated with the “SPLINTER group” formed from an organisation named Students of Aligarh Muslim University (SAMU) and ISIS, and were allegedly plotting terror activities across the state.

Lucknow: The Anti-Terrorist Squad of the Uttar Pradesh Police arrested four people allegedly linked to the Aligarh module of ISIS on Saturday. The accused nabbed by ATS have been identified as Raquib Imam Ansari (29), who pursued B.Tech and M.Tech from Aligarh Muslim University(AMU), Naved Siddiqui (23), who pursued a B.Sc degree from the same varsity, Mohammed Noman Gaffar (27), a BA (Hons) student from AMU, and Mohammed Nazim (33), also from AMU.

The ATS said the four were associated with the “SPLINTER group” formed from an organisation named Students of Aligarh Muslim University (SAMU) and ISIS, and were allegedly plotting terror activities across the state. Special DG (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar said that the accused were inspired by ISIS ideology and were taking instructions from their ISIS handlers to carry out terror activities in the state. “They were collecting material and planning some strike,” Kumar was quoted as saying to news agency IANS.

7 Arrested, propaganda material related to ISIS and Al Qaeda Recovered

The ATS recovered propaganda material related to ISIS and Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) from their pen drives. The ATS said that the names of the four arrested surfaced during questioning with Arsalan and Tariq, who were arrested earlier on Monday(November 6). Later, on Wednesday(November 8), another suspect, Wajihuddin, who also holds a PhD in public administration from AMU, was arrested. A senior ATS official said that till now, seven members of the module have been arrested.

Earlier this month, Additional Director General of Police (ATS) Mohit Aggarwal said the unit had received a tip-off that some radicalised people, influenced by ISIS, were involved in anti-national activities and forming a jihadi group of like-minded people on the directives of their handlers, PTI reported. They were planning to carry out a major attack in Uttar Pradesh, he had said.

The police later arrested Abdullah Arsalan, Maaz bin Tariq, and Waziudin, who were also allegedly linked to ISIS. Information about the four accused arrested on Friday and Saturday was received while interrogating the trio. Action is being taken against the four arrested accused after presenting them in court, the release stated.