Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has intensified its investigation against the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror module by bringing the total number of people arrested in the case to 13.
The arrest of five suspects from Patan district took the total number of people in the case to 13.
The latest arrests mark the beginning of a wider effort by police to take control of a purported terror network operating in the state of Gujarat. The investigation is ongoing and the group’s activities, contacts and possible connections to others are still being looked into further, it said. We are still investigating for the investigation, the state government said.
The five new individuals were arrested after their names were found in the interrogation of eight suspects who had been arrested earlier in the investigation, the ATS said. The suspects were arrested from Khadiyal village in Siddhpur Taluka of Patan district. The accused were linked to the banned Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed, which has been declared a terrorist organization by India and many other countries. The allegations are based on facts gathered through the investigation and the legal process will determine the individuals' responsibility, the police said.
The five newly arrested suspects were identified as Bilal Abidbhai Shera, Mohammad Ayub Kadiwala, Mohammad Palanpuri alias Khali Ayub Sunsara, Shafia Rais Mukhti and Mohammad Hasan Kardia. They were taken to a local court after their arrest and remanded to ATS custody until July 24 for further interrogation and evidence gathering. Digital devices, financial transactions, communication records and more can be examined to establish the nature of the alleged network and its activities.
It was only in the last week of February that the Gujarat ATS arrested 8 people from Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh on suspicion of being associated with an alleged Jaish-e-Mohammed network. The accused were involved in spreading extremist ideology, recruiting new members and maintaining contact with suspected handlers in Pakistan, investigators said. Also investigated is whether the alleged module was involved in planning unlawful activities or primarily to recruit and radicalise people.
Gujarat ATS has been closely working with other central and state security agencies to trace the wider network and identify any additional individuals who might have been connected with the alleged module. Security agencies are also looking into whether the accused had links to other groups or the network extended to other states. Intelligence officials are assessing the digital evidence, encrypted messaging platforms and financial records to establish the structure of the alleged group.
Counter-terrorism experts say that such investigations often involve forensic analysis, cyber intelligence and coordination between various law enforcement agencies. Security agencies in India have in recent years increasingly been relying on digital surveillance, intelligence sharing and cyber forensics to detect and prevent potential security threats before they can materialise. The timely intelligence and coordination of operations are the most important to public safety and national security, officials say.
The arrests underscore the continued vigilance of security agencies in monitoring suspected extremist activities and responding to intelligence inputs. While investigators believe the latest arrests are a significant breakthrough, they also have indicated that the probe is far from over. Further searches, questioning of suspects, and analysis of seized evidence are expected in the coming days as authorities seek to uncover the full scope of the alleged terror module.
The 13 accused are being investigated and all their cases are subject to judicial scrutiny. Under Indian law, every accused person is innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. The investigation is ongoing and further reports will be filed, and the judiciary will make decisions based on what is found.
