Uttar Pradesh ATS arrests one on suspicion of radicalising youths

The Uttar Pradesh ATS has arrested one person suspected of radicalising youths for terror activities, it said in a statement on Saturday.

The Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) of Uttar Pradesh Police arrested Saharanpur native Azharuddin on December 30. The arrest was based on the disclosure of Lukmaan, who was nabbed earlier for allegedly having links with the al-Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent and the Jamat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh, it said.

Azharuddin allegedly showed "jehadi videos and literature" to youths in a bid to radicalise them and was working actively to make them join with the ideology of the terror organisations.

On September 26, the ATS arrested Lukmaan and slapped him with a case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). It had earlier arrested Md Mudassir and 10 others in the case.

During the interrogation of Haridwar-native Mudassir, it emerged that Azharuddin had a suspicious background in the case and he was brought in for questioning. He was subsequently arrested on December 30, the ATS said.

"The accused Azharuddin, Bangladeshi accused persons and active criminals of AQIS (al-Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent) and JMB (Jamat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh), while joining hands with Mudassir, Abu Talha, Ahsan and others, used to propagate jehadi ideology...," the ATS said in the statement.