Central intelligence agencies and the Kerala police have launched investigations into the suspected presence of Sheikh Sajjad Gul, the alleged mastermind of the Pahalgam terror attack, in Kerala during the early 2000s. Gul, currently believed to be the chief of the Lashkar-e-Taiba proxy outfit The Resistance Front (TRF), is suspected to have pursued a lab technician course in the state between his reported MBA studies in Bengaluru and his 2002 arrest in Delhi for possession of explosives.
According to sources, this possibility has prompted intelligence officials to examine Gul’s activities in Kerala during that period. Investigators are also drawing parallels to past instances, including the 2008 visit to Kochi by 26/11 terror conspirator Tahawwur Hussain Rana.
Sheikh Sajjad Gul was previously arrested in 2002 for possessing 5 kg of RDX and plotting blasts in Delhi. He served a 10-year prison sentence for those charges. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has confirmed his role in the Pahalgam attack, which was also claimed by The Resistance Front (TRF), a Lashkar-e-Taiba proxy he currently heads. While his involvement in other 2025 terror incidents in India has not been established, Gul is believed to operate from Pakistan, allegedly with the support of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
Kerala has previously been flagged for terror recruitment concerns, with several youths reported to have joined extremist groups. Many of them were believed to have been radicalized via social media platforms. In response, intelligence units had intensified online surveillance and initiated deradicalisation programmes in the state.
Meanwhile, a separate case is under investigation in Jammu and Kashmir, involving the mysterious death of a young man suspected to be from Kerala. The body of 27-year-old Muhammed Shanib, believed to be a resident of Mannarkkad in Palakkad district, was discovered in a forest area in Gulmarg. Police said the body appeared to be about ten days old.
Shanib had reportedly been out of contact with his family for over three weeks. While initial checks have revealed no suspicious background, authorities remain puzzled over how and why he travelled to Kashmir. Both the Jammu and Kashmir police and central agencies are probing his past and examining his mobile phone for clues.
Family members, including his father, have travelled to Kashmir to identify the body, as inquiries continue into any possible connections to radical networks or illegal activity.
(With inputs from Deccan Herald)
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