Khandwa: The Madhya Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (MP ATS) has apprehended Faizan Sheikh, a member of the Indian Mujahideen, in the Khandwa district. Sheikh was reportedly planning a lone wolf attack in Madhya Pradesh, targeting security forces. A significant cache of weapons and jihadist literature was recovered from his possession. Evidence from his mobile phone indicates he had connections with various terrorist organizations.
Media reports reveal that Sheikh idolized notorious Indian Mujahideen terrorists Yasin Bhatkal and his brother Riyaz Bhatkal, and was influenced by SIMI leader Abul Faizal. He admired these figures to the extent that he visited Yasin and Riyaz's home in Bhatkal town, Karnataka, and met SIMI terrorist Raqib Qureshi in a Kolkata jail. Faizan Sheikh had been under constant surveillance since he was questioned by the NIA team in May 2023 during an investigation into a terrorist network.
Sheikh aimed to execute a lone wolf attack and aspired to become a prominent mujahid. MP ATS captured him in Kanjar Mohalla, Khandwa, and discovered weapons at his hideout. Four mobile phones used for recruiting youth into terrorist organizations and literature related to Indian Mujahideen, ISI, SIMI, and other groups were also found. Additionally, SIMI membership forms, a pistol, and five cartridges were recovered. During interrogation, Sheikh confessed that his targets were security forces and that he had conducted reconnaissance of their homes and relatives. He expressed his desire to surpass Abu Faizal in infamy.
ATS Inspector General Ashish stated that initial investigations revealed Sheikh's plans for a lone wolf attack, having conducted reconnaissance of Army Cantt areas from Kashmir to Delhi fourteen times. Sheikh, the least educated among his seven siblings, had studied up to the 8th standard. He had opposed the STF team during Raqib’s arrest in Khandwa and had visited Raqib in Kolkata jail. Sheikh sought fame and recognition, which he believed would come from his arrest and subsequent actions.
Sheikh propagated the ideologies of Indian Mujahideen and ISIS through jihadi posts on his Facebook profile. He shared videos of mujahideen training camps in Pakistan, speeches by Masood Azhar (Jaish-e-Mohammed), and content related to Lashkar-e-Taiba, the Kandahar plane hijacking, Mullah Omar, and Ansar Ghazwa-tul-Hind (AGH).
It is noteworthy that five out of the eight SIMI terrorists killed by Madhya Pradesh Police in an encounter near Bhopal on October 31, 2016, were residents of Khandwa. Sheikh sought to avenge this encounter and aspired to establish himself as a significant mujahid, similar to Yasin Bhatkal and Abu Faisal. To realize his plan, he was amassing pistols and cartridges through local illegal arms dealers and contacts outside the state, achieving partial success.
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