Gujarat ATS delivered a body blow to terrorism Tuesday, arresting a 22-year-old radical in Navsari district and seizing arms linked to a murder conspiracy. Faizan Sheikh, originally from Uttar Pradesh’s Rampur district and employed as a tailor in Jarkvada for four years, fell into the net following precise intel on impending attacks.
Sheikh harbored intentions to execute hits on chosen individuals, fueled by separatist and jihadist fervor, aiming to instill widespread panic. The ATS-Navsari police joint effort capitalized on secret tips to effect the arrest.
Forensic dives into his digital footprint exposed an Instagram account spewing hate, alongside phone data packed with endorsements for terror groups Jaish-e-Mohammed and Al-Qaeda. Seized items included victim photos and 29 folios of Arabic-Urdu radical literature meant to indoctrinate the young.
Officers confiscated a handgun with six live rounds, acquired half a year ago from a UP mystery man, Sheikh revealed. DSP Harsh Upadhyay updated that target identification is in progress, with digital forensics nearing completion.
The foiled scheme spotlights the insidious role of online extremism in breeding domestic threats. Gujarat’s ATS continues to lead the charge, safeguarding communities from shadows of violence.