The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on Wednesday arrested a man who established the Aligarh module of ISIS. Faizan Bakhteyar (24) was carrying a reward of Rs 25,000 on his head.
During questioning, Faizan revealed that he, along with his associates, established the Aligarh ISIS module after pledging their allegiance to the group under the supervision of a Rizwan Ashraf from Prayagraj. This module had its network spread across various districts of Uttar Pradesh.
All individuals associated with this module were planning to carry out terrorist attacks, said officials.
However, after the module was dismantled, Faizan had gone into hiding.
According to the authorities, Faizan Bakhteyar hails from Prayagraj and was pursuing a Master’s in Social Work (MSW) at Aligarh Muslim University.
The UP ATS had already arrested eight people in connection with the case.
The case was filed in November 2023 by the ATS team under Sections 121A and 122 (concerning conspiracies to wage war against the Indian government) of the Indian Penal Code, 13 (punishment for unlawful activities), 18 (punishment for conspiracy), 18B (punishment for recruiting any person for the commission of terrorism) and 38 (association with a terrorist organization) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and relevant sections of the Arms Act.