The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday, 8 July conducted searches at the residence of Abdul Nazeer in the Kaul Bazar area of Ballari, Karnataka, as part of a coordinated multi-state operation targeting an alleged terror conspiracy registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The operation spanned eight states, making it one of the agency's broader simultaneous crackdowns in recent months.

What Investigators Found and Did

NIA officials questioned Abdul Nazeer's parents and other family members about his associates and social circle during the Ballari search. Investigators also examined the mobile phones of family members as part of the operation. No arrests were reported from the Ballari premises during the raid.

Background: Who Is Abdul Nazeer

According to officials, Abdul Nazeer was previously booked under the UAPA in a case registered in Hyderabad. He was subsequently arrested by the Vijayawada Police on 26 March on allegations that he propagated extremist ideology through social media and allegedly encouraged youths to join terrorist organisations. Investigators have further alleged that he formed and operated an extremist group and was part of a conspiracy to carry out subversive activities in Chennai and Visakhapatnam. He is also suspected of links with terrorist organisations. Following his arrest, he was taken to Vijayawada for further investigation.

Scope of the Multi-State Operation

The coordinated raids were simultaneously conducted across Karnataka, Delhi, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, Rajasthan, and West Bengal. The NIA described the operation as part of its ongoing investigation into a suspected extremist network and alleged terror conspiracy. Further investigation is underway, officials said.

The Ballari ISIS Module: Prior Context

This is not the first time Ballari has featured in NIA's counter-terror operations. In June 2023, the agency filed a chargesheet against seven persons who allegedly created an Islamic State (ISIS)-inspired terror module in Ballari — individuals arrested by the NIA in December 2022. Those accused were charged under the UAPA, 1967, the Arms Act, 1959, and the Explosive Substances Act, 1908, alongside relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.

According to the NIA's chargesheet, the accused were involved in the recruitment and radicalisation of vulnerable youth as 'mujahideen' to function as terrorist sleeper cells. 'The accused were part of a bigger ISIS conspiracy to prepare 50 such sleeper cells in each district of India by 2025. The accused were also involved in the fabrication of explosives for furtherance of the ISIS goal to establish the Caliphate system in India by waging jihad against the Government of India,' the NIA stated in the chargesheet.

What Comes Next

With the multi-state raids now concluded, the NIA is expected to analyse seized digital evidence and question additional individuals linked to the alleged network. The Ballari operation adds another layer to a probe that has already produced chargesheets and arrests, signalling that investigators believe the extremist network extends well beyond those already in custody.