BENGALURU / AHMEDABAD: In a breakthrough in India’s counter-terrorism efforts, the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has uncovered a sophisticated digital radicalisation and recruitment network allegedly run by a woman named Shama Parveen, accused of being a key handler for Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS).
Her arrest from Bengaluru on 30 July is now seen as a pivotal development in the broader terror probe that began with the apprehension of four radicalised operatives on 23 July.
According to senior ATS officials, Parveen, originally hailing from Jharkhand, had settled in Hebbal, Bengaluru, where she was reportedly residing with her brother.
While she led an ostensibly ordinary life in one of India’s major tech hubs, behind the scenes, she is believed to have orchestrated a dangerous online campaign designed to indoctrinate youth, stir communal discord, and amplify Al-Qaeda’s jihadi propaganda.
THE DIGITAL JIHAD: WHAT THE ATS FOUND
Parveen allegedly ran multiple anonymous social media accounts, including one titled Strangers of the Nation, where she regularly posted hate-filled messages, graphic propaganda videos, and incendiary religious sermons aimed at provoking armed insurrection against the Indian state.
The provocative content seized from her devices includes:
- Glorification of Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir, with calls for him to unite Muslim nations under a new “Project Khilafat”.
- Blatant calls for jihad and armed uprising against Hindus, Indian democracy, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
- Sermons from radical clerics, including Imam Abdul Aziz of Lal Masjid in Islamabad, are notorious for their inflammatory speeches advocating caliphate rule in South Asia.
- Disturbing visuals of demolition drives in Gujarat, falsely presented as evidence of “state oppression” to inflame communal sentiments.
- Anti-US narratives, equating American foreign policy with global oppression of Muslims, are a common trope used by global jihadi networks.
The ATS is now in possession of hundreds of gigabytes of content from encrypted chat apps, video platforms, and social media, some of which had been disseminated in Urdu, Hindi, and Arabic to reach a wider audience across South Asia and the Gulf.
GHZWAZA-E-HIND AND AQIS STRATEGY: PARVEEN’S ALLEGED ROLE
Sources in the intelligence community say Parveen was not a fringe player but allegedly an important digital cog in AQIS’s operations in India, particularly its female wing.
Investigators believe she was directly coordinating with handlers based in Pakistan and the Gulf, helping design ideological outreach strategies, recruit vulnerable youth — particularly women — and spread the doctrine of Ghazwa-e-Hind, an extremist ideology rooted in the concept of an Islamic conquest of the Indian subcontinent.
This ideology, pushed by radical Islamist groups like Al-Qaeda and ISKP (Islamic State Khorasan Province), has recently gained traction in online spaces, especially following India’s Operation Sindoor in May 2025 — a massive crackdown on cross-border terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. In the aftermath of that operation, Parveen allegedly posted:
Now the time has come to eliminate Hindutva,” tagging Asim Munir and calling for a unified Muslim uprising through Project Khilafat.
THE JULY MODULE BUST AND LINK TO PARVEEN
The current investigation stems from the 23 July arrest of four radicalised men from Ahmedabad, Modasa, Delhi, and Noida, who were reportedly in digital contact with Parveen.
These men were allegedly tasked with spreading jihadi content, creating sleeper cells, and coordinating on-ground activities aligned with Al-Qaeda’s objectives.
Their interrogation revealed that Parveen was providing ideological guidance, instructions on safe digital communication, encryption techniques, and even suggestions on how to evade detection while organizing local meetups and securing funding.
BEYOND BORDERS: A PAN-ISLAMIST DIGITAL WEB
ATS and central agencies, including the National Investigation Agency (NIA), are now examining cross-border linkages, especially with terror groups operating from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and West Asia.
Parveen’s digital footprint reveals connections to online forums and encrypted groups that have previously been flagged by U.S. intelligence and Interpol for their links to Al-Qaeda, ISIS, and the Haqqani Network.
There are also growing concerns about how such radicalisation efforts are shifting to digital-first strategies, especially targeting educated urban youth, women, and disaffected minorities. The use of coded language, encrypted messaging, cultural symbols, and emotional triggers has become the hallmark of this new wave of cyber-jihad.
INVESTIGATION ONGOING: WHAT’S NEXT
Currently under 14-day custody, Shama Parveen is being interrogated for leads that could unravel deeper networks operating within India and abroad. Authorities are focusing on:
- Identifying her foreign handlers.
- Tracing funding sources, possibly routed via cryptocurrency.
- Locating sleeper cells or recruits who may have been radicalised under her watch.
- Understanding the scale of AQIS’s digital operations within India.
A multi-agency coordination effort is underway, and more arrests are expected in the coming days.
DIGITAL TERRORISM – INDIA’S NEW FRONTLINE
Shama Parveen’s arrest is a stark reminder that the battle against terrorism is no longer just on physical borders. The digital landscape has emerged as the new frontier, where ideologies can spread rapidly, unchecked, and across geographies.
As intelligence agencies scramble to counter online radicalisation, questions are also being raised about platform accountability, internet regulation, and the role of tech giants in preventing extremist content.
The danger is real, evolving, and increasingly homegrown. And while Parveen’s arrest may be a breakthrough, it may also be just the tip of a much larger iceberg.
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