'Ghazwa-e-Hind, Revenge For Babri, Sharia Law': UP ATS Arrests Varanasi Resident On Charges Of Spying For Pakistan

The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on Thursday (22 May) arrested a Varanasi resident for allegedly working for a Pakistan-backed network involved in espionage and attempts to threaten India's sovereignty and unity, NDTV reported.

The accused Tufail, a resident of Doshipura, under Jaitpura police station in Varanasi, was nabbed by the UP ATS after receiving intelligence that he was associated with a WhatsApp group created by Pakistan-backed anti-national organizations aimed at harming India's sovereignty, unity, and integrity.

According to the ATS, Tufail was sharing information related to India's internal security with Pakistani phone numbers.

Upon developing this intelligence, the ATS field unit in Varanasi confirmed that Tufail had been communicating with multiple individuals in Pakistan and was sharing videos of Maulana Shad Rizvi, a leader of the terrorist organisation Tehreek-e-Labbaik in Pakistan, on WhatsApp groups.

He was also sharing messages calling for "Ghazwa-e-Hind," avenging the Babri Masjid incident, and implementing Sharia law in India.

Tufail had shared images and information related to several key Indian locations, including Rajghat, Namoghat, Gyanvapi, the railway station, Jama Masjid, Red Fort, and Nizamuddin Auliya, with Pakistani numbers.

Tufail shared the link to these Pakistan-run groups among many other people in Varanasi and was reportedly in contact with over 600 Pakistani numbers.

He was also in contact via Facebook with a woman named Nafeesa, a resident of Faisalabad, Pakistan, whose husband is reportedly in the Pakistani army.

The anti-terrorist squad arrested Tufail from Adampur in Varanasi and an FIR has been filed under sections 148 and 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at ATS police station in Lucknow.

Tufail's mobile phone and SIM cards were also seized by the ATS and he will now be produced before court for further legal proceedings.

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