Gujarat ATS Arrests Man Involved In Terror Conspiracy, Planning Attacks
ATS official said Faizan Sheikh has been arrested and search is on for others involved in the terror conspiracy case.
Published : January 27, 2026 at 5:55 PM IST
Navsari: The Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) has arrested a youth, who was allegedly radicalised by terror organisations like Jaish-e-Mohammed and Al-Qaeda and had acquired illegal weapons and explosives to target individuals, officials said on Tuesday.
The accused, identified as Faizan Sheikh, a native of Dundawala, Narpat Nagar, in the Uttar Pradesh's Rampur district, was living in Gujarat's Navsari district for the last three to four years and worked as a tailor here. Following his arrest on January 25, the accused was produced in court today, where the ATS obtained a 12-day remand.
According to ATS officials, Faizan was radicalised by ideologies of banned terrorist organisations like Jaish-e-Mohammed and Al-Qaeda. "He was planning to target specific individuals with the intention of spreading terror and fear in the state. For this purpose, he had acquired illegal weapons and explosives," an official said.
During investigation, ATS team recovered illegal weapons and explosives from the accused. ATS officials suspect he was planning to attack some sensitive locations in Gujarat. A pistol, 29 books, and photographs have been seized from him, they added.
The ATS team is currently conducting a rigorous interrogation of the accused. He has revealed that he had been in contact with a person named Mohammad Abu Bakar for the past six-seven months through WhatsApp, Telegram, and Instagram. Three months ago, he joined a group on Instagram called 'al.faizangaza'. This group posted the names and photographs of individuals who had allegedly insulted the Prophet. Faizan and Abu Bakar watched and uploaded videos on jihad on Instagram. He revealed that he had purchased a pistol from Uttar Pradesh six months ago and intended to kill someone who had insulted the Prophet.
Preliminary investigations revealed that Faizan and Bakar had conspired to wage war against the Government of India and incite violence. "Inspired by terrorist organisations, they planned to spread terror and also attempted to instigate people to participate in armed rebellion to separate Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh from India. Gujarat ATS has initiated legal proceedings under relevant sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita and Arms Act. Further investigations are underway to identify other individuals involved in the terror conspiracy case," an official said.
DIG ATS Gujarat, Sunil Joshi, said ATS is continuously monitoring such individuals and ensuring the security of the state through timely action.
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