Gujarat’s counter-terrorism machinery struck again, thwarting a sinister plot to unleash violence in Navsari district. The ATS arrested Faizan Sheikh, a 22-year-old from Dundawala village in Uttar Pradesh’s Rampur, who worked as a tailor in Jarkvada for the past four years.
Intelligence inputs alerted the squad to Sheikh’s preparations for attacks aimed at high-profile targets, driven by extremist ideologies promoting jihad and separatism. A joint raid with Navsari police led to his capture, exposing a web of radical activities.
Key evidence emerged from technical surveillance: a dubious Instagram profile linked to Sheikh, his phone brimming with materials glorifying Jaish-e-Mohammed and Al-Qaeda. Authorities recovered images of prospective victims, along with 29 sheets of incendiary Arabic and Urdu texts designed to lure young minds into extremism.
During the operation, a loaded pistol and six rounds of ammunition were confiscated. Sheikh admitted buying the arms half a year back from a shadowy figure in UP. DSP Harsh Upadhyay told reporters that identifying the hit list is underway, with full digital scrutiny due shortly.
The incident highlights the evolving threat of homegrown radicals influenced by global terror narratives. Gujarat ATS’s proactive stance has once more prevented tragedy, prompting calls for heightened monitoring of social media radicalization channels.