Bengaluru Shocker: Woman Allegedly Heading Al Qaeda Module Arrested

In a dramatic crackdown, the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested 30-year-old Shama Parveen in Bengaluru’s Manorayanapalya, Hebbal, on Tuesday, July 29, for allegedly masterminding an Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) terror module. Hailing from Jharkhand, Parveen is accused of orchestrating a network that promoted extremist ideologies and incited violence through social media, posing a significant threat to national security.

The arrest follows a high-stakes operation that began on June 10, when ATS Deputy Superintendent Harsh Upadhyay received intelligence about Instagram accounts—@sharyat_ya_shahadat, @f4rdeen_03, @_mujahideen1, @mujahideen.3, and @sefullah_muja_hid313—spreading anti-national propaganda and AQIS ideology. These accounts allegedly shared provocative content, including jihadi videos and calls for Sharia law, targeting Muslim youth to incite violence against the Indian government.

A special investigation team, led by Superintendent K Siddharth, identified and arrested four operatives on July 21-22: Fardeen Sheikh (Ahmedabad), Saifullah Qureshi (Modasa), Mohammad Faiq (Delhi), and Zeeshan Ali (Noida). Investigations revealed chilling details. From Fardeen Sheikh, ATS recovered AQIS literature and a sword, along with a video of him proclaiming, “Bas yehi kami thi, ab sab pura ho gaya... Allahu Akbar!” Mohammad Faiq was found communicating with Pakistan-based Instagram accounts, amplifying extremist narratives.

All four suspects had content promoting religious violence and terrorism on their devices. They face charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), with ongoing interrogations and scrutiny of 62 additional social media accounts.

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Parveen, a graduate living with her software engineer brother in Bengaluru for three years, allegedly coordinated these operations, leveraging her digital savvy to manage radical content dissemination. Seized digital equipment, including a laptop and mobile phones, is under forensic analysis. After her arrest, she was produced before Bengaluru’s 8th Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, who granted a transit warrant for her transfer to Gujarat for further probing.

This bust comes amid heightened concerns over AQIS’s attempts to expand in India, as noted in a recent UN report highlighting the group’s 200-fighter-strong network aiming to destabilize regions like Jammu and Kashmir. Bengaluru authorities have ramped up intelligence vigilance following Parveen’s arrest, signaling a broader clampdown on terror networks in the IT capital.

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