TV
In a major breakthrough, the Delhi Police Special Cell has dismantled a Pakistan-linked Khilafat terror module and arrested five suspects from across multiple states. The arrested accused have been identified as Ashar Danish alias Ashrar Qureshi (23), Aftab Qureshi and Sufiyan Abubakar, both from Mumbai; Mohammad Huzaifa from Telangana, and Kamran Qureshi from Madhya Pradesh. The group, radicalised online, was allegedly plotting to establish a so-called ‘Khilafat zone’ in India and wage violent jihad.
What is the Khilafat Terror Module?
Investigators revealed that the module’s objective was to acquire land, declare it a Khilafat-controlled territory, and push the extremist narrative of ‘Ghazwa-e-Hind’ (raid of India). The network was coordinated by 23-year-old Ashar Danish alias Ashrar Qureshi, an English honours graduate from Ranchi, who acted under the instructions of a Pakistan-based handler using code names like “CEO”, “Gazba” and “Professor.”
How the Module Operated
The handler, operating via encrypted social media chats, provided weapon designs, ideological guidance and instructions to fabricate Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). Danish and his associates Aftab Qureshi, Sufiyan Abubakar, Mohammad Huzaifa, and Kamran Qureshi worked to recruit young people, raise funds, and prepare for strikes.
The plan also included purchasing land to build a Khilafat enclave, a model previously attempted in Maharashtra by extremist Saquib Nachan. Police said the group had been under surveillance for six months before the first arrests were made near Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station, Delhi.
What Police Found
Raids in Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Telangana led to the recovery of IED materials such as sulphur powder, ball bearings, gas masks, and cartridges. Electronic devices seized are being analysed by central agencies.
Authorities confirmed that the arrests have foiled a potential terror strike. Interrogation is underway to identify funding sources, potential targets, and the extent of the network.
