The Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has apprehended four individuals with links to Al-Qaeda Indian Subcontinent (AQIS). The arrests were made across Gujarat, Delhi, and Noida, following a tip-off regarding Instagram accounts spreading Al-Qaeda ideologies.
According to Gujarat DIG ATS Sunil Joshi, the ATS received information about five Instagram accounts disseminating ideologies espoused by Al-Qaeda. A technical team was formed to investigate the input. After analyzing the accounts and identifying the account holders, the four individuals were placed under digital and physical surveillance, which revealed their suspicious behavior.
The four arrested individuals are Fardin Sheikh from Ahmedabad, Mahammad Faique from Delhi, Jishan Ali from Noida, and Saifullah Qureshi from Gujarat. Their social media accounts revealed that they were propagating the ideology of the proscribed outfit across the country. One of the accused, Faique, was in touch with social media accounts from Pakistan, which provided him with Jihadi materials.
The ATS discovered that the accused were actively sharing Al-Qaeda literature, radical posts, and inflammatory videos. They were also using auto-deleting apps to communicate and allegedly evade detection. A sword and digital evidence were seized from one of the accused. Links of the Delhi-based suspects to individuals in Pakistan have also surfaced.
The accused had allegedly been radicalized through encrypted channels and extremist groups on various social media platforms. Their online behavior, group affiliations, and continuous monitoring of Gujarat's internal movements raised red flags for the ATS. A case has been registered under UAPA Sections 13, 18, 38, and 39, along with Sections 113, 152, 196, and 61 of the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita 2023. All four accused have been remanded to 14-day custody as the ATS deepens its probe into their digital networks and offline contacts. Officials believe more suspects may be linked to this module.
India has resumed issuing tourist visas to Chinese nationals after a gap of five years. The Indian Embassy in Beijing announced on Wednesday that Chinese citizens could apply for tourist visas from Thursday. This move is part of a series of confidence-building measures that the two countries have been taking in recent months.
India had suspended the issuance of tourist visas to Chinese nationals in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the military standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh. The Chinese Foreign Ministry welcomed the move as a positive and beneficial step. China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a post on X that easing cross-border travel is widely beneficial and that China will maintain communication and consultation with India to further facilitate travel between the two countries.
The resumption of tourist visas comes almost a month after the resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra on June 30. The two sides reviewed the situation at the 34th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation & Coordination (WMCC) on India-China border affairs in New Delhi. Besides the resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, the two sides have also said that direct flights will restart soon.
Tensions between the two countries escalated following a 2020 military clash along their disputed Himalayan border. In response, India imposed restrictions on Chinese investments, banned hundreds of popular Chinese apps, and cut passenger routes. Relations have gradually improved, with several high-level meetings taking place, including talks between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
