The Maharashtra government has banned the literature of terrorist organisations such as Islamic State, Hizb-ul-Mujahideen Pir Panjal Regiment, and Al Qaeda (AQIS), citing its content glorifying violent extremism, promoting radicalisation, and providing information on bomb-making and lone-wolf attacks.
Criminal jurisprudence is based on an interesting saying, "It is better that ten guilty persons escape than one innocent suffer." However, that does not seem to apply to the Maharashtra Anti Terrorist Squad. There are several instances to show that the agency has botched up its investigation, the latest being Pune Bakery blast main accused Himayat Baig.
The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) conducted raids at over 40 locations across the state, including Mumbai, targeting individuals connected to Pakistan-based gangster Shahzad Bhatti, who is accused of influencing Indian youth towards anti-national activities through social media.
The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad and Delhi Police's Special Cell have jointly arrested two individuals allegedly linked to a terror group involved in online radicalisation.
A Kerala MLA, K Shantakumari, was targeted by a cyber fraud gang impersonating Anti-Terrorism Squad officers, who claimed she was linked to a bomb blast case. She reported the incident to the cyber cell after uncovering their deception.
A Delhi court has remanded Huzaifa Farooque Ahmed Hashmi to five days' police custody following his arrest by the Delhi Police Special Cell and Maharashtra ATS. He is accused of having links with a D-Company operative and Pakistan's ISI, with investigators presenting evidence of his contact with a Pakistan-based operative. The case is part of a broader probe into the alleged Mumbai underworld-Pakistan ISI nexus.
A Kerala MLA, K Shantakumari, was targeted by cyber fraudsters claiming a connection to a bomb blast case and using her identity. The MLA reported the incident to the cyber cell after her son identified inconsistencies in the video call.
The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has arrested a man in connection with the recovery of an improvised explosive device (IED) at a private hospital in Pune.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut has written to the Mumbai Police Commissioner, seeking action against MP Sanjay Dina Patil for allegedly threatening to "throw bombs" at protesters and claiming to have "killed five people" in the past. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has assured that police will take appropriate action against anyone issuing threats.
A note referencing 'lone wolf' attacks and the Islamic State was discovered at the home of a man arrested for allegedly stabbing two security guards in Thane, Maharashtra, after questioning their religion.
The Maharashtra ATS has arrested an engineering student from Mumbai for allegedly sharing online propaganda material linked to banned terrorist organisations. Two other individuals are also under investigation.
A man was arrested for planting an improvised explosive device in a private hospital in Pune in an attempt to extort money from the facility, according to police.
The Bombay High Court has discharged four men accused in the 2006 Malegaon blast case, overturning a special court order that had framed charges against them. The accused were charged under the Indian Penal Code and the UAPA.
A Mumbai engineering student has been arrested by the Maharashtra ATS for allegedly sharing terrorist propaganda online related to banned organisations like Jaish-e-Mohammed and Islamic State, raising concerns about online radicalisation.
Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Dina Patil allegedly abused and threatened journalists, prompting Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to ask him to express regret. The incident occurred after journalists questioned Patil about a letter from Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut and his daughter's political stance, leading to a political controversy.
A BJP MLC in Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh, has filed a complaint alleging he was held under 'digital arrest' by individuals posing as Mumbai ATS officers.
A Mumbai court has denied a UAPA case accused, Vaibhav Raut, permission to travel to Vietnam for a family vacation, deeming the reason for travel as 'too trivial'. Raut, out on bail, sought permission to spend 'happy moments with family'.
Senior police inspector Daya Nayak, once known as an 'encounter specialist', was promoted to the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police. Other senior inspectors were also promoted.
Mumbai police have arrested a man from Gujarat for his alleged involvement in a cyber fraud case where a senior citizen was duped of Rs 2.25 crore after being threatened with arrest in a fake terrorism-related probe.
A note referencing 'lone wolf' attacks and the Islamic State was found at the home of a man arrested for allegedly attacking two security guards in Thane, Maharashtra. The accused, who lived in the US for several years, appeared to have undergone 'self-radicalisation'.
The accused, identified as Zaib Zubair Ansari (31), who returned to India from the US in 2020, allegedly asked the security guards their religion after an altercation at an under-construction building in the Mira Road area of Thane, he said.
The Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) has arrested two individuals for allegedly conspiring to wage war against the country by radicalising individuals through social media and planning to establish 'Ghazwa-e-Hind'.
In his applications filed before the National Human Rights Commission as well as Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission on Friday, Abdul Wahid Shaikh also requested support for rehabilitation.
As the police make security arrangements for Anant Chaturthi, the 10th day of the Ganesh festival, the traffic police control room on Thursday received a threat message on their WhatsApp helpline, the official said.
Cyber fraudsters posing as Delhi ATS and Jammu & Kashmir police personnel cheated an elderly woman from Mumbai of Rs 22 lakh after accusing her of spying for Pakistan, officials said on Wednesday.
Records stretching back to 1947 suggest a consistent strategy by Pakistan's military and intelligence apparatus, the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), of using terrorism as a state policy against India.
A special court acquitting seven persons in the 2008 Malegaon blast case questioned why the investigating agency did not explore the potential involvement of the banned outfit Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI).
A timeline of the key events in the 2006 Mumbai train blasts case, culminating in the acquittal of all 12 accused by the Bombay High Court.
In 2023, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had carried out searches at Padgha as part of a nationwide crackdown on the terror outfit ISIS and arrested several persons, including Nachan.
The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has questioned a teacher in Thane regarding his connection to a Pune-based software engineer arrested for alleged links with Al Qaeda and other banned outfits.
The Thane unit of the ATS, with the assistance of the Thane rural police, started searches around 4 am at Padgha and Borivali villages in the district adjoining Mumbai, an official said without giving case details.
'It was only after what happened that we started looking back into his files. And today, we have reason to believe that those maps had deeper meaning that anyone could have then imagined,' says UP ATS Deputy Inspector General Rajiv Krishna.
The woman, identified as Fatima Khan, who has done B.Sc in Information Technology, resided in Ulhasnagar area of neighbouring Thane district of Maharashtra with her family members.
Deven Bharti, a veteran IPS officer with experience in high-profile cases including the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, has assumed charge as the new commissioner of Mumbai police. He emphasized the importance of effective policing, citizen engagement, and combating cybercrime as key priorities for his tenure. Bharti, known for his investigative skills, previously served in various roles within the Mumbai Police and Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad.
The traffic control room at Worli received a message around 12.30 am on Friday, claiming that there would be blasts in Mumbai as bombs had been placed at six locations in the country's financial capital.
A police official said they were verifying the details but no First Information Report has been registered yet.
A special court acquitting seven persons in the 2008 Malegaon blast case has raised serious concerns over allegations of torture and illegal detention by Maharashtra ATS officers. The court noted that witnesses claimed their statements were taken under coercion.
A Special NIA court in Mumbai has reserved the judgment in the 2008 Malegaon blast case for July 31. The court said the case has voluminous documents and needs time to deliver the verdict. The blast, which occurred in September 2008, killed six people and injured over 100. Seven accused, including Lt Col Prasad Purohit and BJP leader Pragya Thakur, are facing trial in the case.
They were in police custody till Thursday and were produced before the Mazgaon court, where the ATS sought their further remand to interrogate them and ascertain the identity of the 'uncle', who was instructing them from Pakistan.
An organisation that helped the families of victims in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, has expressed displeasure over the acquittal of seven accused and sought to know if they were not involved in the incident, then who were responsible for it.
