On 7 November 2025, the Rajasthan Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested Maulvi Osama Umar from Jalore for allegedly maintaining a four-year association with the banned outfit Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and attempting to radicalize Indian youth through online platforms, officials said.
Over the past decade, numerous Islamic clerics (Maulvis and Maulanas) across India have been apprehended by security agencies for their alleged involvement with banned terror outfits.
From links with global networks like Al-Qaeda and Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan to plots of assassination and radicalization, these arrests reveal a persistent pattern of extremist infiltration. This report details 12 such major incidents from 2015 to 2025, underscoring the ongoing challenges faced by India’s national security apparatus.
#1 Jalore Maulvi Held for TTP Links – 07 November 2025
The Rajasthan Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested Maulvi Osama Umar from Sandkhor village in Jalore. Investigations revealed he had maintained links with the banned Pakistan-based terror group Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) for four years. The cleric was accused of being in contact with handlers across the border and allegedly using online platforms to radicalize Indian youth and recruit them for anti-national activities.
#2 Trio of Clerics Nabbed in Joint Raid – 31 October 2025
In a coordinated operation across Jodhpur and Jaisalmer, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Rajasthan ATS arrested three maulvis—Ayub, Usman, and Masood. The clerics were alleged to have connections with international terrorist networks. Raids led to the seizure of documents, mobile phones, and laptops. Authorities are interrogating them to uncover funding sources and potential sleeper cell activities linked to their madrasas.
#3 PFI Revival Bid Leads to Mangaluru Cleric’s Arrest – 12 October 2025
Mangaluru Police arrested Maulana Syed Ibrahim Tangal for allegedly attempting to revive the banned Popular Front of India (PFI). The cleric had created a WhatsApp group named “Salman Salma” to mobilize former PFI members and coordinate activities. This case highlighted the continued efforts to re-establish the outlawed organization through digital means.
#4 Amreli Cleric in Pak-Linked WhatsApp Groups – 01 August 2025
Gujarat Police’s Special Operations Group detained Maulvi Mohammed Fazal Abdul Aziz Sheikh from a madrasa in Amreli’s Dhari taluka. The cleric was found to be part of eight suspicious WhatsApp groups with links to Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh. His phone was seized after officials found deleted messages that coincided with the timing of a recent terror attack in Pahalgam.
#5 Locals Resist NIA During Jhansi Cleric’s Arrest – 12 December 2024
A joint team of the NIA and Uttar Pradesh ATS faced resistance from locals in Jhansi’s Super Colony area while attempting to arrest Maulvi Khalid Nadvi. The cleric was being investigated for his alleged role in foreign funding and online radicalization. The crowd formed a human barricade and scuffled with officers, temporarily obstructing the arrest.
#6 Surat Module Plotted Political Assassinations – 17 May 2024
Gujarat Police, in a joint op with the NIA, busted a terror module in Surat and arrested three individuals, including a maulvi named Sohail. The group was allegedly plotting the assassination of prominent political leaders across India to incite widespread unrest. Police recovered two voter ID cards from the accused during the operation.
#7 Cleric Arrested for Plot to Kill Nupur Sharma – 10 January 2024
Gujarat Police arrested 27-year-old Maulvi Sohail Abu Bakar Timol from Surat for allegedly plotting to assassinate former spokesperson Nupur Sharma and others. Investigations revealed he had handlers in Pakistan and Nepal, used a foreign SIM, and managed a transnational WhatsApp group. He was reportedly promised ₹1 crore for the killings.
#8 Al-Qaeda Linked Cleric Held in Assam – 26 August 2022
Assam Police arrested Maulvi Hafizur Rahman from Bongaigaon district for his links to Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) and Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT). The cleric was involved in radicalization and recruitment, marking the fourth arrest of an Al-Qaeda-linked individual in Assam within a week, highlighting concerns about active sleeper cells.
#9 Delhi Maulana Aided Al-Qaeda Recruitment – 17 November 2021
Delhi Police’s Special Cell arrested Maulana Anzar Shah, a madrasa teacher from Bengaluru, for recruiting youths for Al-Qaeda. Shah brainwashed individuals and sent them to Pakistan and Afghanistan for terror training. His role in AQIS emerged from the interrogation of another operative, Abdul Rehman. Shah used VOIP calls and hate speeches to motivate recruits.
#10 Faridabad Cleric Accused of Forced Conversion – 24 September 2021
An FIR was filed against Maulana Kaleem Siddiqui in Faridabad, Haryana, after a youth alleged he was coerced into converting to Islam as a minor and changing his name to Noor Mohammad. Siddiqui and five associates were charged with forced religious conversion, and police confirmed the registration of the case.
#11 NIA Raids in Srinagar Target Terror Funding – 26 February 2019
The NIA raided seven locations in Srinagar, targeting separatist leaders including Yasin Malik and clerics Maulvi Manzoor and Maulvi Shafat. The searches were part of an investigation into Pakistan-based terror funding networks accused of financing militancy and stone-pelting activities in Jammu and Kashmir.
#12 Odisha Cleric Recruited for Al-Qaeda – 16 December 2015
In a joint operation, Odisha and Delhi Police arrested Maulvi Abdul Rehman from Cuttack for his links with AQIS. The 37-year-old cleric was involved in recruiting operatives in Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Karnataka. Devices and his passport were seized, revealing possible foreign links to Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Dubai.
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