Did Two Chhattisgarh Teens with ISIS Links Have Pakistani Handlers?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Two minors detained in Chhattisgarh for ISIS links.
- Suspected involvement of Pakistani handlers in their radicalization.
- Use of social media platforms for spreading extremist ideology.
- Ongoing investigations into the broader network.
- Call for community vigilance against online extremism.
Raipur, Nov 19 (NationPress) In a groundbreaking incident in Chhattisgarh, the state's Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has apprehended two adolescent boys from Raipur for suspected connections to the global terrorist group Islamic State (ISIS).
Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister Vijay Sharma confirmed this alarming development on Wednesday, describing it as a serious threat emerging from cyberspace.
During a press briefing, Deputy CM Sharma reported that the minors were acting under direct orders from an ISIS module based in Pakistan. “Following extensive investigations and technical surveillance, ATS detained these two minors.
Initial inquiries indicate they were in contact with handlers from Pakistan who used fraudulent Instagram accounts to radicalize young individuals,” he stated.
The minors, swayed by extremist material online, were actively attempting to disseminate ISIS ideology and recruit others. “They possessed considerable knowledge about ISIS activities and were extensively leveraging social media in the name of the terrorist organization. They were not only radicalized themselves but also striving to influence other youth,” Sharma added.
According to senior police officials, Pakistani handlers were orchestrating advanced online operations aimed at vulnerable Indian teenagers. The minors were integrated into clandestine Instagram group chats where they were systematically indoctrinated, exposed to violent jihadist propaganda, and urged to disseminate ISIS content.
Evidence suggests that these handlers were encouraging the boys to establish a local ISIS module in Chhattisgarh to undermine internal security.
The ATS, through persistent cyber surveillance and collaboration with central agencies, identified the suspects using technical and digital evidence. Both teenagers have been apprehended, and further questioning is in progress to map the entire network.
“This marks the first instance of ISIS-related detention of minors in Chhattisgarh. We are investigating whether additional youth have been radicalized,” Sharma stated, urging citizens to promptly report any suspicious anti-national social media accounts or handles that promote extremism to the nearest police station or cyber cell.
Authorities indicated that this case underscores the escalating menace of online radicalization orchestrated by foreign terror modules targeting impressionable teenagers via popular social media platforms.
Heightened monitoring of cyberspace has been mandated throughout the state. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has been notified, and a formal case under pertinent sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act is expected to be filed soon.