A 20-year-old man suspected of having links to a Pakistan-based terror organisation was arrested in Karnataka's Davangere district, police said on Wednesday. The accused, identified as Suhail, is a native of Uttar Pradesh and had recently moved to Harihar taluk, where he was employed as a painter.
Police said he was apprehended on Tuesday during a joint operation carried out with intelligence agencies following inputs received from the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
Terror-related material found on WhatsApp
According to police, suspected terror-related material was found on his WhatsApp account, and he was allegedly in contact with several persons based in Pakistan.
Sharing details about the arrest, Davanagere Superintendent of Police Shekhar H Tekkannavar said that based on credible information, the suspect was detained on Tuesday. "Yesterday, our Police Sub-Inspector detained and questioned a suspicious individual based on credible information received. About 15 days ago, the suspect had come to work as a painter at a private factory located within the Harihar Rural Police Station limits and was staying in a nearby village," he told reporters.
Acting on information that he was involved in suspicious activities, he was questioned, and during the inquiry, it came to light that he was in contact with persons of Pakistani origin through WhatsApp groups and social media on his mobile phone, the SP said.
He said that a case has been registered at Harihar Rural Police Station, and the suspect has been taken into custody for further action. "We are proceeding with further legal action against the suspect, who is around 20 years old," Tekkannavar said.
Suspect came in contact through social media
Citing preliminary findings, the police officer said the suspect and certain other individuals appear to have come into contact through social media in connection with alleged extremist activities and had remained in touch online.
"There are indications that the case may have similarities to an earlier case registered in Tumakuru district, but we will confirm that through further investigation. At present, we are verifying the suspect who has been taken into custody. In the coming days, we will complete the verification process, collect all relevant evidence, and take appropriate action," he said.
According to the officer, the suspect had reportedly arrived in the area as part of a group of around 10 people.
"We are also verifying the backgrounds of the others. After the investigation, we will verify whether there is any substance to the matter, whether it involves a particular group, the nature of the contacts, and other details. Those facts will become clear only after the investigation is completed," Tekkannavar added.
Two men were arrested on June 4
The arrest comes weeks after two men were apprehended from Tumakuru and Davangere districts on June 4 for allegedly maintaining contact with a Pakistan-based individual through social media and conspiring to engage in activities considered prejudicial to India's national security.
Confirming the latest arrest, Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge said the Uttar Pradesh native was found to have been in contact with certain Pakistani nationals.
Kharge said further details would emerge only after the investigation is completed. He added that preliminary findings suggest the accused had come to Karnataka in search of employment and that information recovered from his mobile phone led investigators to take him into custody.
"According to the preliminary investigation and the information available, that person from Uttar Pradesh had apparently come here in search of work. Some information has been detected from his mobile phone. So he's been arrested," Kharge told reporters in Bengaluru on Wednesday.
He said chats recovered from the mobile phone suggested that the accused had been in touch with some Pakistanis.
"It has emerged from the chats that he was in contact with some Pakistanis. But whether there has been any large-scale indoctrination or anything else, that will be known only after the investigation is completed. For now, he is in custody," he said.
Also Read: Karnataka bride-to-be, parents die by suicide a day before wedding in Mysuru, one arrested
Also Read: Infidelity, murder and manipulations: How an ex-soldier was killed for Rs 2 crore insurance payout
