The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has arrested Mohammad Raza, described as the alleged mastermind of a radical group that aimed to form a “Mujahideen Army” to overthrow the Indian government through violent jihad and enforce Sharia law. Raza, originally from Andauli in Fatehpur district and currently residing in Mallapuram, Kerala, was taken into custody on September 29 and transported to Lucknow on a transit remand. His arrest marks a major development in the investigation that had already seen four of his associates—Akmal Raza, Safeel Salmani alias Ali Razvi, Mohammad Tausif, and Qasim Ali—placed in judicial custody.
According to ATS officials, the group was heavily influenced by radical Pakistani organisations and was plotting to destabilise the democratic framework of the country. They allegedly sought to raise funds to acquire weapons and orchestrate the targeted killings of prominent non-Muslim religious leaders. Investigators revealed that money had been credited to Raza’s bank account to finance these activities, and the group had been holding clandestine meetings at various locations while leveraging social media to propagate extremist ideology.
The ATS explained that intelligence inputs had pointed to individuals from different districts of Uttar Pradesh who were being indoctrinated by extremist narratives. The agency stated that the overarching goal of these men was to topple the elected government and establish Sharia rule by force. Mohammad Raza, the ATS noted, stood at the helm of this “anti-national conspiracy,” playing the central role in planning, coordination, and indoctrination.
During interrogation, the four men already arrested admitted their involvement in plotting a violent jihad against what they described as “kafirs.” They claimed their actions were in retaliation for alleged atrocities against Muslims and aimed at enforcing Sharia law across India. Investigators also found evidence of their attempts to radicalise others by collecting jihadi literature, spreading extremist propaganda, and recruiting vulnerable individuals into their fold.
The arrest of Mohammad Raza has not only exposed the depth of the conspiracy but also underlined the continuing challenge of radical networks attempting to destabilise the country from within. The ATS is now focusing on identifying funding sources, tracking digital communications, and mapping the full extent of the network to prevent further spread of the group’s extremist ideology.
