New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday arrested one accused during raids at multiple locations in Maharashtra. The raids were related to a case involving a conspiracy by the global terror group ISIS to target vital installations in the western state.
The accused, identified as Mohammed Zoheb Khan, was arrested during raids conducted at the houses of various suspects at nine locations in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, formerly Aurangabad, the anti-terror agency said.
The official said several electronic gadgets and incriminating documents related to the case were seized during the crackdown.
The NIA Mumbai registered the case against Khan based on information that he and his associates had taken 'Bayath' (pledged allegiance) to the ISIS Khalifa. They were also involved in radicalizing and recruiting youths, both physically and over social media, to join the group and promote its violent ideology, the NIA spokesperson said.
The NIA said its investigations revealed that the "accused and other suspects were in constant touch with their foreign-based handlers to further the activities of the terror network, both in India and abroad."
"They were sharing incriminating videos of 'Bayath', along with materials related to Jihad (holy war) and Hijrah (migration) to Syria," the spokesperson said, adding the agency is continuing with its investigations in the case.
Earlier on Saturday, NIA conducted raids at 15 locations across Jammu and Kashmir as part of its crackdown on the proscribed Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) in a terror funding case.
The raids in the twin capitals of Srinagar and Jammu along with Budgam in central and Kulgam and Anantnag in south Kashmir led to the seizure of incriminating documents and digital devices connected with the activities of JeI and its related Trusts and more than Rs 20 lakh, a spokesperson of the federal agency said.