Karnataka police have arrested two men from Chikkaballapur and Hassan in connection with an alleged conspiracy in which talk about terrorist and disruptive activities in a Telegram group was involved. Police are now investigating whether the online conversation between these men was part of a network and whether any actual preparations were made to conduct attacks.
The accused have been identified in police and media reports as Shabbir, a resident of Bapujinagar in Chikkaballapur, and Salman, who is from North India. Police have registered a case under Section 113 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and are investigating digital evidence, Telegram conversations and the accused persons' contacts.
How Did The Alleged Conspiracy Come To Light?
Investigators said the case began after intelligence officials noticed Shabbir's activity on social media. Police then searched his mobile phone and found provocative messages and discussions about terrorism in a closed Telegram group, the investigators said.
Chikkaballapur Superintendent of Police Padmini Sahu said the investigation is still in its early stages. Police are investigating the accused’s background, their contacts and the conversations they have collected from their digital devices. Other people who may have been part of the group are also being investigated.
The Telegram group had several members and was alleged to have been used to speak about extremist activities, create unrest and to raise funds for such activities. The investigators are now trying to establish the group’s members and whether the discussions ever moved beyond the online space.
BJP Leaders Allegedly Discussed as Targets
The case has attracted political attention after Karnataka BJP leaders Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, C.T. Ravi and former BJP MP Pratap Simha were identified as alleged targets of discussions in the group.
Karnataka Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka raised the issue and called for security for the three leaders. Ashoka alleged that four people had discussed a plan to target Yatnal, Pratap Simha and C. T. Ravi, but police have not independently confirmed all of Ashoka's claims about the alleged number of people involved or the exact nature of the purported plot.
The three leaders have been the most prominent voices in Karnataka on political and ideological issues. So the allegations have triggered calls for an investigation into whether the conversations were in fact a genuine threat (not just the kind on the Internet) and remained at the level of online discussions.
It should be noted that being mentioned as an alleged target does not establish that an operational assassination plan existed. We still don’t know what the messages were about and if there was any real preparation.
Claims About National Leaders Also Under Investigation
According to reports, discussions in the alleged Telegram group included references to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
The Federal reported that police were investigating allegations that these national leaders were discussed as potential targets. Other reports have also made the claim.
Investigators have not publicly established that the accused had a concrete plan to attack any of these national leaders. Police are investigating the digital exchanges and trying to determine the intentions behind them.
That distinction is especially important in a criminal investigation since online discussions can contain threats, extremist rhetoric or hypothetical statements without showing if an attack was planned.
Alleged plans to raise money through Kidnapping
Another very serious allegation investigated by investigators is that kidnapping was used to raise funds.
According to the initial police investigation, members of the Telegram group discussed kidnapping wealthy individuals and using ransom money to finance extremist activities. These talks are being investigated by the police to determine whether they were real and not just discussions within the group.
Investigators are also looking at whether the group had links with people outside Karnataka and whether any external organisation or individual was directing its activities.
No public report reviewed for this article indicates that a kidnapping was actually carried out by the arrested men.
Police Investigating Wider Network
After Shabbir's arrest, investigators traced his connection to Salman, who was subsequently taken into custody in Hassan district. Police are now trying to find other members of the alleged Telegram group.
The investigation spans mobile phones, social media accounts, Telegram communications and contact networks. Authorities are investigating the financial and personal backgrounds of the accused and looking for evidence of any links to extremist organisations.
Police did not publicly announce the recovery of weapons or explosives from the accused in the reports reviewed. That matters because investigators are still trying to see if the supposed conspiracy grew from online discussions to physical preparations.
NIA Role May Be Considered
There has been speculation that, as the terror-related case progresses, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) might eventually be involved.
And yet, according to a report, the Karnataka police investigation is ongoing. It is first assessing the digital evidence and backgrounds of the accused before any wider picture of the case is defined.
The discovery of other suspects and/or links to organised extremist networks or evidence of preparations for violence could also influence the future direction of the investigation.
Family Rejects Terror Allegations
Shabbir's family has rejected the accusations against him, the local media reported. His brother and mother told local media they did not believe he was involved in terrorism and believed he may have entered the online discussions without understanding their seriousness.
Such statements remain part of the defence position and will ultimately have to be assessed alongside the evidence collected by investigators.
Investigation Continues
The arrests have reignited speculation about when encrypted, closed online communities might be used in extremist forums. Police are trying to determine if the Telegram conversations were the product of a conspiracy, and whether there was any concrete intention to do violence.
Shabbir and Salman are still accused persons, and the allegations have not been proven in court. The investigation will determine the authenticity and context of the messages, the identities of the other group members, and if any physical preparations or external links existed.
Police will conduct a detailed investigation of the digital evidence and the backgrounds of the accused individuals, they said. The case will therefore go on to develop further as investigators trace the alleged Telegram network and determine how deep (if any) the conspiracy is.
