Alleged mastermind of group planning to target religious leaders arrested in Kerala: UP ATS

Lucknow, Sep 30 (PTI) The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has arrested from Kerala an alleged mastermind of a group conspiring to form a "Mujahideen Army" to topple the Indian government through "violent jihad" and impose Sharia law, officials said on Tuesday.

Mohammad Raza, a resident of Andauli in Fatehpur district of Uttar Pradesh, was arrested on Monday from Mallapuram in Kerala, where he was presently residing, and brought to Lucknow on a transit remand, an ATS statement said.

Earlier, ATS had registered a case under relevant provisions on Monday at its Lucknow police station and arrested four men identified as Akmal Raza, Safeel Salmani alias Ali Razvi, Mohammad Tausif and Qasim Ali.

According to ATS, intelligence inputs suggested the group was influenced by radical Pakistani organisations and was allegedly collecting funds to procure arms and plot targeted killings of prominent non-Muslim religious leaders.

The ATS said that money was being credited in Raza's account.

The group was holding meetings at different locations and was also active on social media groups to spread extremist ideology.

Mohammad Raza was the alleged mastermind of the group which was conspiring to form a "Mujahideen Army" to topple the Indian government through "violent jihad", the officials said.

During preliminary interrogation, the four, according to ATS, admitted to planning to wage "jihad against kafirs" in retaliation against perceived "atrocities" on Muslims, and for enforcing Sharia law in the country.

They were trying to radicalise people, collect jihadi literature, and spread extremist propaganda, the officials said. PTI ABN ABN RT RT