The Madhya Pradesh Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) has arrested a coaching class teacher from Bhopal on allegations of running an online radicalisation network and attempting to recruit young people through social media platforms.

Mohammad Faraz, a resident of the Qazi Camp area of Bhopal, was taken into custody after investigators alleged that he used WhatsApp and Telegram groups to spread extremist ideology. According to ATS officials, Faraz claimed during interrogation that he was in contact with Pakistani, Indian and foreign individuals through various online groups.

Investigators said he allegedly told them that an individual identified as Naeem had influenced him by introducing him to the story of Pakistani militant Khalid Saifullah and encouraging him to follow a similar path.

ATS Alleges Plans For Training And Recruitment

According to the agency, Faraz claimed that members of the network were instructed to create fear and carry out targeted killings when directed. Investigators further alleged that recruits were asked to prepare passports and, if required, travel to Pakistan through a third country for militant training.

Faraz and his wife reportedly ran coaching classes for students from Classes 1 to 10 from their residence and conducted Quran lessons every Tuesday. He also worked as a compounder at a clinic in Bhopal.

Residents described the family as ordinary and said they were unaware of any alleged activities. Neighbours said Faraz mostly travelled between his home and the clinic. Following his arrest, the clinic owner reportedly shut the establishment and could not be contacted.

The ATS alleges that Faraz used messaging applications to circulate videos and influence vulnerable young people, particularly those facing economic hardship or social isolation.

‘Mission 2047’ Document Recovered

Investigators said documents seized during the operation included the banned Popular Front of India’s alleged “Mission 2047” document. Similar documents had previously been recovered by the National Investigation Agency in Kerala in 2022 and by the Maharashtra ATS in 2024.

According to investigators, the document advocates the political empowerment of Muslims by 2047 and calls for organisational expansion and recruitment. The agency said the material stressed unifying members across different sects and repeatedly highlighting grievances within the community.

Officials alleged that the document describes the objective of establishing Islamic rule as central to the organisation’s vision and encourages affiliated groups to expand their influence.

The claims regarding the contents of the document are based on the findings cited by investigating agencies and have not been independently verified.

Alleged Mastermind Held As Probe Expands

Following Faraz’s interrogation, the ATS arrested Naeem Qureshi from Deoband in Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur district. The agency described him as the alleged mastermind and said he had trained Faraz and was involved in plans to send him to Afghanistan.

Qureshi was produced before a court and remanded to ATS custody for four days.

Investigators alleged that mobile phone examinations revealed contacts in Afghanistan and Pakistan and that communication with foreign handlers was conducted through the Botim application. They also claimed photographs and videos from several cities in Uttar Pradesh were being transmitted to Pakistan.

The ATS suspects the network extended across multiple states and functioned in a manner similar to a sleeper cell. Officials said extremist literature, suspicious documents and records of transactions linked to madrasas had also been recovered.

Following the arrests, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav chaired a meeting at the state police headquarters and said the government would not allow extremist ideology to take root. He stated that security agencies had acted in time to prevent a potentially serious threat.

The ATS and other agencies are continuing their investigation and say further revelations are expected as digital evidence and interrogation records are examined.

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