Chikkaballapur City Police have arrested an Islamist man identified as Shabbeer, a resident of Bapujinagar, for plotting terrorist activities and discussing plans to cause large-scale violence in the country, according to the report.
Police sources cited by Public TV said the accused Shabbeer had created a group on Telegram, where discussions were held about carrying out terror attacks and raising funds for terrorist activities. Investigators are examining the group’s conversations, its members, and the extent of the radical terror network.
According to the preliminary investigation reported by police, the group discussed kidnapping wealthy individuals to raise money, followed by using the funds for terrorist activities and creating unrest in the country. The report further states that discussions took place about targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Police are now attempting to identify and trace other members of the Telegram group and determine whether anyone else was involved in the conspiracy. The investigation is also focused on the group’s communications, financial plans, and possible links beyond Chikkaballapur.
Chikkaballapur Superintendent of Police Padmini Sahu said the investigation was still at an early stage, with police examining the backgrounds and contacts of the two accused Islamists. She said both had been arrested in connection with discussions about terrorism on Telegram, but neither had any known terrorist background at present. However, given the nature of the allegations, the investigation has been intensified.
Sahu said a case had been registered at Chikkaballapur City Police Station and that police would seek custody of the accused for further questioning. The two accused are currently in judicial custody and are expected to be taken into police custody as part of the ongoing probe.
Police are also examining digital evidence recovered from the accused’s mobile phones, including their Telegram conversations. Investigators are seeking to establish the nature and extent of the discussions and determine whether they were linked to any wider network.
The investigation will focus on reconstructing the online network by examining communication patterns, contacts, digital accounts, and other electronic evidence associated with the accused. Authorities are also working to determine how the Telegram group operated and whether any other individuals were involved.
A case has been registered by Chikkaballapur City Police under Section 113 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and Shabbeer is being questioned as part of the investigation. The remaining subject is to be investigated, and judicial proceedings will continue to establish the full extent of the conspiracy and identify any other persons connected to it.
This Chikkaballapur case cannot be viewed as an isolated incident. Karnataka has seen similar cases of online-linked terror conspiracies in recent years: the Shivamogga IS case, first registered in September 2022, led to multiple convictions, with Huzair Farhan Baig recently sentenced to six years by an NIA Special Court. With Chikkaballapur police now investigating another Telegram-based conspiracy, the latest case raises serious questions about whether online radicalization and terror networks are continuing to emerge in the state and whether authorities are detecting them early enough.
