UP ATS arrests ISIS Aligarh module terrorist Faizan Bakhtiyar

On Wednesday (17th January), the Uttar Pradesh Anti Terrorist Squad (UP ATS) said that an ISIS terrorist Faizan Bakhtiyar has been arrested in Aligarh. The accused was a student of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU).

According to a statement issued by Uttar Police ATS, Faizan Bakhtiyar was wanted by the ATS, and a Rs 25,000 reward was announced for information leading to his arrest. The accused was a part of the Aligarh module of the Islamic terrorist outfit Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and had enrolled in the Aligarh Muslim University Master of Social Work course.

Reportedly, accused Faizan informed the authorities during questioning after his arrest that one Rizwan Ashraf had made him take the oath of allegiance to ISIS. Subsequently, he along with several others was involved in anti-national activities.

According to reports, Faizan Bakhtiyar was also collaborating with terrorism-accused students Abdullah Arsalan, Maaz Bin Taraki, and Wajiduddin, who were recently apprehended. During the investigation, the police found that these individuals had been planning to carry out terror activities in the country. Notably, Abdullah Arsalan and Maaz bin Tariq, members of the ISIS Pune module, were taken into custody on 3rd November last year.

The UP ATS had confiscated “prohibited” literature from the accused. The anti-terrorism unit had received information that, influenced by ISIS, certain radicalised persons were engaging in anti-national activities and formed a “jihadi group” on the orders of their handlers in the ISIS. Bakhtiyar was connecting people with the ISIS Aligarh module.

As reported earlier, 24-year-old Faizan Bakhtiyar, a native of Prayagraj was residing at the VM Hall hostel of AMU and was pursuing a master’s degree in social work from there. Bakhtiyar and another accused Abdul Samad Malik had links to the Students of Aligarh Muslim University (SAMU) and used to participate in propaganda for ISIS.

The module comprised multiple Aligarh Muslim University students. ATS identified these students and discovered that they were associated with Aligarh Muslim University students Abdul Samad Malik, Faizan Bakhtiyar, Mohammed Arshad Warsi and Mohammed Shahnawaz Alam from Jharkhand, Rizwan Abdul Haji Ali who is a native of Delhi, Wajihuddin Ali Khan, Abdullah Arsalan and Maaz bin Tariq from Aligarh, Mohammad Naved Siddiqui of Chandausi, Sambhal and Rizwan Ashraf from Uttar Pradesh.

On 3rd November 2023, the ATS filed a formal complaint against Shahnawaz and ten other individuals under various sections of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and Indian Penal Code sections 121-A (conspiracy to wage war against the country) and 122 (collecting arms and ammunition with the intention to wage war against the nation).

On 11th November, Wajihudeen who is another module member was captured in Chhattisgarh’s Durg. Officials revealed that he possesses a PhD from AMU and is employed by the ISIS network while masquerading as a member of SAMU. Wajihuddin Ali Khan, the recently arrested ISIS terrorist, was associated with the Al Haya Min Allah campaign at AMU, promoting extremist ideologies against democracy, nationalism, and other religions. Wajihuddin was also involved in the anti-CAA protests.

Source: OpIndia