Varanasi: The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad has arrested a man identified as Tufail Islam. The 45-year-old Varanasi resident was allegedly involved in espionage activity and was part of a Pakistani-sponsored network which was working towards destabilizing India’s sovereignty and internal security.
Tufail Islam part of several anti-India WhatsApp groups
According to a Times of India report, Tufail was arrested from Varanasi’s Adampur area. He resides in Doshipura, under Jaitpura police station in the holy city. The ATS said that the man had joined several WhatsApp groups operated by Pakistani-backed organisations.
Tufail was sharing sensitive information regarding India’s internal security in these WhatsApp groups, said ATS. Several Pakistani contacts were part of these WhatsApp group chats, they added. He was ion touch with several Pakistani nationals and also with terror groups like the Tehreek-e-Labbaik, added investigators.
The man frequently shared sensitive and provocative content in the WhatsApp groups. These included videos of Babri Masjid demolition, the imposition of Sharia law in India and also called for ‘Ghazwa-e-Hind’. He also called for revenge for the demolition of the Babri Masjid in his conversations in the group, revealed the agency.
The man however did not just stop at sharing propaganda but also shared images of several vital locations in India. These included photographs of Raj Ghat, Namo Ghat, Gyanvapi, railway stations, Jama Masjid, Red Form and Nizamuddin Dargah in these WhatsApp groups and also individually with the Pakistani contacts.
Tufail was in touch with 600 Pakistani contacts: ATS
The ATS found that Tufail was in touch with at least 600 Pakistani contacts. He also distributed links of the WhatsApp groups with other locals and encouraged them to join the anti-India group. The agency also found that he was in touch with a Pakistani woman in Faisalabad. She has been identified as Nafisa and her husband serves with the Pakistani Army.
An FIR under sections 148 and 152 of the BNS has been registered at ATS Police Station in Lucknow against the accused. He will be produced in court for further action in the matter.
