Full Breakdown
NIA Conducts Multi-State Raids, Arrests 13 in IMK Terror Conspiracy
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event: Coordinated Arrests Across Assam, West Bengal and Kerala
On September 29, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) completed simultaneous searches at 16 locations—10 in Assam, five in West Bengal and one in Kerala—and detained 13 individuals alleged to be linked to Imam Mahmuder Kafila (IMK), an offshoot of the banned Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). The arrests comprised eight suspects in Assam, four in West Bengal and one in Kerala. Digital devices, including mobile phones, pen drives and memory cards, were seized.
Background & Context: JMB Offshoot and Earlier Proceedings
IMK is described by officials as a manifestation of JMB that seeks to expand the extremist agenda of its parent organization on Indian soil. The probe follows an earlier operation on December 28, 2025, when Assam Police arrested 11 persons in Assam, West Bengal and Tripura. A case was registered on December 30, 2025, against 35 individuals for operating an online radicalisation module through the “Purva Akash” Telegram group managed by Bangladesh-based handlers of IMK. The 11 arrested on December 28 were charge-sheeted on June 25, 2026, and remain in judicial custody.
Timeline of Investigation
- December 28, 2025 – Assam Police arrests 11 suspects across three states.
- December 30, 2025 – Case registration against 35 alleged participants in the “Purva Akash” module.
- June 25, 2026 – Chargesheet filed against the 11 arrested individuals under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967.
- March 14 – Mustafizur Rahman, later among the six detained in Barpeta, is arrested by the Assam Police Special Task Force and released on bail after three months.
- September 29 – NIA conducts raids at 16 sites and arrests 13 suspects; separate operations in Barpeta district detain six additional persons.
Data & Statistics
- Total arrests on September 29: 13 (8 Assam, 4 West Bengal, 1 Kerala).
- Additional detentions in Barpeta district: 6 (Faruk Abdullah, Zakir Hussain, Chandbar Ali, Mustafizur Rahman, Yakub Ali, Rakibul Islam).
- Seized items: Mobile phones, pen drives, memory cards, a laptop and documents.
- Absconders: Ten individuals remain at large, including one Indian national and nine Bangladeshi nationals.
Official Statements & Responses
The agency’s investigation asserts that the accused were involved in clandestine meetings, circulation of extremist material and promotion of allegiance to IMK/JMB leadership. The Union government banned JMB and its manifestations under Section 35 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, in May 2019.
On-the-Ground Reports
Family members of the Barpeta detainees described early-morning searches that lasted several hours, during which phones and identity documents were confiscated. One relative said officials arrived around 5 a.m., left by 8:15 a.m., and took the suspect into custody without further details.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
All sources concur on the number of arrests and the count of absconders. Detailed charges against the six individuals detained in Barpeta have not been publicly disclosed.
What’s Next
The NIA has indicated that the investigation will continue to gather evidence from the seized digital material and to locate the ten absconding suspects. No specific future hearings or deadlines have been announced.
