NEW DELHI, July 4: A Bengaluru techie is among six Indians and 17 Pakistanis designated as “terrorists” by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Saturday under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).
The 23 individuals, who are no longer in India, are accused of roles ranging from recruitment, training, infiltration and logistics support to financing, arms supply, drone-based weapons delivery and planning or facilitating terrorist attacks in India. With the latest additions, the total number of individuals designated as terrorists under the UAPA now stands at 80.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said, “Of the 23 terrorists announced today, 17 are Pakistani nationals, and 6 are Indian nationals. However, all of them at present operate from Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.”
The Bengaluru engineer, who has been identified as Mohammed Shaheed Faisal (40), is currently residing in Rawalpindi, Pakistan and associated with Pakistan-based terrorist outfits Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, an MHA notification said. The MHA said Faisal also has links with Al-Qaeda and ISIS modules.
“Faisal recruits youths via social media, arranges weapons training in Pakistan, raises funds for terrorist activities and imparts training in the use of data encryption and fake identities to evade law enforcement agencies. With the intent of carrying out terrorist activities in the country, he has been involved in the delivery of weapons and ammunition and in conspiracies related to several terrorist incidents,” the notification said.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has identified him as the alleged handler of the terror module that carried out an IED explosion at the Rameshwaram Café in Bengaluru on March 1, 2024. Wanted by the NIA since 2012, Faisal carries a reward of ₹10 lakh and is alleged to have handled three terror modules in Karnataka in the past 14 years. An engineering graduate (2004-2008) of Ramaiah Institute of Technology, Bengaluru, he worked as a software engineer in the city for a few years and later left for Saudi Arabia, but never returned.
The other five Indians designated as terrorists are all from Jammu and Kashmir. They have been identified as Firdous Ahmad Bhat (33) from Kulgam, Haroon Rashid Ganai alias “Shunoo” (36) from Anantnag, Bilal Ahmad Mir alias “Ahmad Bhai” (27) from Sopore, Abid Quyoom Lone (27) from Baramulla and Nazir Ahmed Gujjar alias “Munazil” from Doda.
The MHA also designated senior JeM functionary Masood Ilyas Kashmiri, alleging that he recruited youths into the outfit, facilitated infiltration into India and was involved in the April 2022 attack on the Sunjwan military station in Jammu.
Also designated were Mohammad Mussadiq, described as a key handler of terrorist infiltration into J&K who allegedly supplied weapons through drones and planned attacks; Mufti Muhammad Asghar Khan, a JeM “launching commander” linked to the 2016 Nagrota Army camp attack; Hafiz Abdul Shakoor, another launching commander accused of facilitating recruitment, training and infiltration; and Abdullah Jehadi, who allegedly ran JeM camps and helped orchestrate terror attacks.
The list also includes Ghulam Fareed, accused of providing arms and ammunition to terrorists; Ashfaq Ahmad, who, the government says, provided technical assistance to terror networks; Waseem Noor Jat, accused of using drones to deliver weapons and ammunition; and Maulana Imdad Ullah Makki, described as a coordinator of several terror activities and head of multiple JeM factions.
Among the senior LeT figures designated is Abdul Rauf, whom the government describes as a key LeT operative working under LeT chief Hafiz Saeed and involved in planning, coordinating and financing terrorist activities.
Also listed are Hafiz Khalid Waleed, alleged to be a close associate of Hafiz Saeed and mastermind of several terror attacks; Maulana Saifullah Khalid, described as active in various Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) factions; Mohammad Yaqoob, accused of providing logistics and financial support to terrorists; Qari Yaqub Sheikh, alleged to have participated in anti-India activities while remaining associated with various LeT factions; and Rana Iftikhar, who allegedly coordinated among jihadist organisations and motivated youths to participate in terrorism.
Another senior JuD-linked functionary designated by the MHA is Maulana Yousaf Taibi, who, according to the notification, has been associated with several LeT and JuD factions and involved in terrorist conspiracies.
(Manas Dasgupta)