Police remand of 5 miscreants conspiring to form a militant outfit

The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has secured an 8-days police custody remand of five miscreants arrested for allegedly conspiring to form a militant outfit called Mujahideen Army, with the objective of toppling India’s democratic system and enforcing Sharia law through violent means.

The custody remand was granted on Monday by the ATS/NIA Court, Lucknow, starting from October 7, 2025, allowing the ATS to intensify its investigation into the radical group’s activities and connections.

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The accused were earlier arrested in connection with case number 13/2025, registered on September 29 under sections 148 and 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). According to the ATS, the group was involved in a serious anti-national conspiracy involving the procurement of weapons, recruitment for jihad, and the establishment of a parallel militant force.

The five accused are Akmal Raza, resident of Sultanpur, Safeel Salmani alias Ali Rajvi, resident of Robertsganj, Sonbhadra, Mohammad Tausif, resident of Ghatampur, Kanpur, Qasim Ali, resident of Khajuria, Rampur and Mohammad Raza, originally from Fatehpur, now residing in Malappuram, Kerala. He was identified as the mastermind of the operation.

Mohammad Raza was apprehended on September 30, a day after the initial arrests, and is believed to have been leading the operation aimed at violent jihad and the formation of a structured extremist group.

The ATS is expected to use the remand period to extract critical information about the group’s funding, recruitment strategy, external handlers, and future plans.