Ballari (Karnataka), March 26 (IANS) A 36-year-old man from Ballari was arrested by Andhra Pradesh Police on charges of spreading extremist propaganda through social media and maintaining links with suspected terrorist networks, police stated on Thursday.

The accused, identified as Abdul Salam, a resident of Abdul Kalam Street under the jurisdiction of Kaul Bazaar police station, was taken into custody near Dhara Mill following specific intelligence inputs.

Police said a team from Andhra Pradesh tracked Salam’s movements before arresting him in the city. Subsequently, with the assistance of local Kaul Bazaar police personnel, a panchanama was conducted at his residence. He was later produced before a court and taken to Andhra Pradesh for further investigation.

According to police sources, the case originated on March 22 when the Vijayawada Second Town police received information about individuals using social media platforms to spread extremist ideology and maintain links with banned terrorist organisations. Based on this, an FIR was registered on March 23, following which search operations were launched.

During the operation, the main accused, 23-year-old Mohammed Rehmatullah Sharif, was apprehended in the Winchpet area of Vijayawada. He allegedly confessed to being influenced by extremist ideologies propagated online and expressed intentions aligned with establishing a caliphate in India.

Investigators revealed that Sharif had established contacts with several individuals across the country, including Abdul Salam from Ballari. Preliminary findings indicate that Salam was part of an online network involved in sharing radical content and promoting extremist views.

The FIR also mentioned that a suspected foreign handler, identified as Al-Hakim Shukoor, had allegedly instructed Sharif to contact Salam. Police believe the network may have links to foreign-based operatives involved in radicalisation efforts.

Officials said individuals like Shukoor are believed to be playing a significant role in influencing and recruiting youth through digital platforms.

Highlighting the broader implications of the case, a senior police officer said, “This case underlines the growing role of social media in the radicalisation of youth. There is an urgent need to closely monitor online platforms and create awareness to counter such influences.”

It may be recalled that the National Investigation Agency had earlier arrested a suspect in Ballari while probing the 2024 Rameswaram Cafe blast case in Bengaluru, pointing to emerging concerns over extremist networks operating in the region.

–IANS

mka/dpb