In a significant breakthrough, Chhattisgarh’s Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has apprehended two minor boys in Raipur for alleged connections to an ISIS module operating from Pakistan. Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma described the detentions as a pioneering event for the state, assuring that efforts are being made to identify any further individuals involved.
Sharma elaborated that the two youths were allegedly following directives from ISIS operatives stationed in Pakistan. They utilized social media platforms, specifically Instagram, employing fabricated accounts. The boys had apparently succumbed to extremist propaganda and were actively engaged in influencing others online. Their internet activities indicated access to substantial information and a deep immersion in ISIS-related content.
The minors have been booked under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Sharma emphasized the state’s resolve to combat terrorism by augmenting the ATS’s capacity, particularly in Raipur and other urban centers across Chhattisgarh. He is expected to propose an expansion of the ATS to the Chief Minister. Citizens are encouraged to play an active role by reporting any anti-national content observed online.
According to police accounts, the ATS zeroed in on the minors through continuous cyber surveillance. The Pakistan-based ISIS module is believed to have employed multiple fake social media accounts, primarily on Instagram, to target Indian teenagers. The objective was to radicalize them, foster dissent against India, and promote violent extremist ideologies. The minors were reportedly added to secure group chats where they were systematically indoctrinated and encouraged to spread ISIS propaganda. Evidence also points to attempts to establish an ISIS module within Chhattisgarh, a plan that appears to have been disrupted by the ATS’s timely intervention.