Dharmavaram Man Arrested Over Extremist Links: Digital Evidence Under Probe, Says SP

Quick Summary

• A 42-year-old man, Kotwal Noor Mohammad, was arrested in Dharmavaram town of Sri Sathya Sai district for alleged connections to Pakistan-backed social media groups promoting extremist propaganda.
• Police disclosed that Noor Mohammad was not just a passive member but an active participant in jihadi discussions aimed at glorifying extremist ideology.
• Evidence, including his mobile phone and relevant literature, was seized during a pre-dawn raid on August 16.
• The investigation is ongoing; forensic analysis of the seized mobile will help map his digital footprint and network connections.
• Authorities suspect he may have acted as a recruiter or sympathiser beyond the local district.
• A case has been filed under the Bharatiya Nyaya sanhita and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
• noor Mohammad has been remanded for 14 days in kadapa Central Prison after being presented before the Kadiri court.

Indian Opinion Analysis
The arrest highlights the increasing challenges posed by misuse of social media platforms to disseminate extremist content locally while facilitating cross-border networks remotely. This case underscores how terrorist groups exploit technology to penetrate even smaller towns like Dharmavaram, raising concerns about grassroots-level radicalisation efforts in India’s vulnerable regions.

Authorities seem to be taking serious measures by invoking strict laws such as UAPA and employing forensic tools to dig deeper into the accused’s activities. However, this also raises broader questions about identifying and addressing online radicalisation effectively while balancing individual freedoms with national security imperatives.

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