NIA Raids 20 Locations in Telangana and Nine States in Online Radicalisation Probe

On Wednesday, 8 July 2026, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted coordinated searches at 20 locations across Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and eight other states. The operations are part of an ongoing investigation into an alleged online terror radicalisation network accused of promoting the ideologies of the banned terrorist organisations ISIS and Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS).

The searches targeted multiple sites across Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and the Union Territory of Delhi. During the raids, investigators seized several digital devices to aid their probe into suspected extremist propaganda, foreign connections, and the conspiracy to radicalise vulnerable youth.

According to the NIA, the suspects were involved in a conspiracy to radicalise youth through online propaganda and violent extremist content. The agency alleged that the ultimate objective of the network was to establish an Islamic state in India through violent jihad against the democratically elected government.

So far, 11 suspects and one juvenile have been arrested in connection with the case. The NIA stated that those arrested and their associates were actively engaged in the online indoctrination of vulnerable youth through extremist propaganda and misinformation. They were also allegedly in contact with foreign handlers to propagate jihadi ideology and further an anti-India conspiracy.

The case was originally registered by the Vijayawada Police in March. The initial police action followed a search at the residence of the key suspect, Rehmatullah Sharif Mohammad, which allegedly led to the recovery of incriminating material linked to the banned terrorist organisations. The NIA officially took over the investigation in May.

The agency carried out the latest searches on Wednesday based on technical analysis of digital devices seized earlier, connectivity analysis of the arrested suspects, and other findings developed during the ongoing probe. The investigation continues to identify other individuals involved in the network.