Ahmedabad: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken over a high-profile terror case earlier busted by the Anti-Terrorist Squad of Gujarat Police, involving four youths allegedly linked to Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS).

Acting on the Ministry of Home Affairs (India)’s directive, the case was transferred to the NIA’s Ahmedabad branch. It has been re-registered under Sections 113, 152, 196, and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Sections 13, 18, 38, and 39 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The accused — Mohammed Fardin Shaikh (22) of Juhapura, Saifullah Kureshi (23) of Aravalli, Mohammed Faik (24) of Old Delhi, and Zishan Ali (25) of Noida — were arrested in July following an intelligence tip on June 10. They allegedly used Instagram, Telegram, and other encrypted platforms to spread extremist content under the “Ghazwa-e-Hind” banner.

Raids led to the seizure of a sword, AQIS-linked literature, mobile phones, and digital devices. Investigators also uncovered links between Faik and Pakistan-based handlers and found references to a coded plot — “Operation Sindoor” — aimed at inciting communal unrest and targeting national institutions. DeshGujarat