Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) on Monday arrested Mohammad Raza, originally from Andoli in Fatehpur district and currently residing in Mallapuram, Kerala. He is accused of leading a group that called itself the ‘Mujahideen Army’ with plans to establish a Sharia-based system in India.
According to news agency ANI, the ATS also detained four other members of the group — Akmal Raza, Safeel Salmani alias Ali Razvi, Mohd Tausif, and Qasim Ali — all of whom have been sent to judicial custody.
The UP ATS said in a statement, “The Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) of Uttar Pradesh received intelligence that some individuals from various districts of Uttar Pradesh, influenced by radical Pakistani organisations, were planning to overthrow the democratically elected government in India through violent jihad and impose Sharia law by force. These individuals were planning the targeted killing of certain non-Muslim religious leaders.”
“The leader of this group and the mastermind of the entire criminal and anti-national conspiracy is being brought to Lucknow on transit remand under legal procedure… The accused will be presented before the relevant Special Court in Lucknow as per the rules…” it added.
The squad also noted funds collected to execute the terrorist plans and carry out the targeted killings had been deposited into Raza’s account. The accused will be presented before the relevant Special Court in Lucknow as per the rules. Further investigations are underway to expose his terrorist network and take action against other associates, it stated.
