White-collar terror probe: Doctors radicalised via social media since 2019

The radicalisation of the doctors linked to the ‘white‑collar’ terror module who were linked to the November 10 Delhi blast, had begun as early as 2019 through social media platforms, said officials.

The investigation indicated a concerning shift in cross-border terror strategy, in which highly educated professionals were groomed entirely through digital means by handlers operating from Pakistan and other parts of the world.

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Brainwashing on social media

The members of the terror cell, which included Dr Muzammil Ganaie, Dr Adeel Rather, Dr Muzzafar Rather and Dr Umar-un-Nabi, were initially spotted by handlers across the border while active on social media platforms like Facebook and discussion spaces on X. Nabi was the one who drove the explosive-laden car on November 10 in Delhi.

The officials further noted that the group of doctors was immediately shifted to private groups on 'Telegram', and the actual brainwashing started from there.

While Ganaie and Adeel were taken into custody of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), probing the Red Fort blast, Muzzafar escaped to Afghanistan in August this year, and the process to seek his deportation had already been initiated by the Jammu and Kashmir Police, which unravelled the entire terror module.

Officials also used YouTube extensively to learn how to create Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) for carrying out terror attacks. Digital footprints analysed during the interrogation identified the primary handlers as 'Ukasa', 'Faizan' and 'Hashmi', who had been operating from outside India.

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According to officials, their names often crop up in inputs related to the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror network. They said that the recruited doctors had initially expressed intent to join terror groups in conflict zones like Syria or Afghanistan, but were later restrained by their handlers, who asked them to continue in India and carry out multiple blasts in the hinterland.

Busting terror module

Jammu and Kashmir police, along with their counterparts in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, busted the 'white collar' terror module. It led the investigators to a Faridabad university where 2,900 kg of explosives were recovered.

It all started on the intervening night of October 18-19, when posters of the banned JeM surfaced on walls just outside Srinagar city. The posters warned of attacks on police and security forces in the Valley.

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Srinagar police treated the matter as a serious issue and not just as a one-off incident, and senior superintendent of police (Srinagar) GV Sundeep Chakravarthy formed several teams for an in-depth probe.

Recruiting via digital platforms

Since 2018, the method of social media radicalisation has seen a tactical change by terror groups, who are trying to recruit people via digital platforms as heightened security measures make direct, face-to-face interactions very difficult.

Once these potential recruits are identified, they are quickly moved into private groups on encrypted messaging apps like Telegram, where they are shown highly manipulative and fabricated content, often in the form of videos generated using Artificial Intelligence (AI), meant to drive hate and a narrative towards recruitment.

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The recruits undergo virtual training, which includes readily accessible YouTube tutorials, before being assigned operational tasks in the region. The widespread use of Virtual Private Networks and fake profiles helps these terror networks evade detection, using encrypted platforms for encrypted communication.

UNSC's resolution

Sharing India's concern, the United Nations has repeatedly underscored the effectiveness of terrorist groups in leveraging propaganda for various nefarious purposes, including recruitment and incitement to violence, and the UN Security Council in 2017 adopted a resolution, the 'Comprehensive International Framework'.

It outlines that the primary responsibility lies with the member states in combating terrorism, promoting coordination among relevant entities, tailoring counter-narratives to specific contexts, and ensuring compliance with international laws and human rights obligations.

(With inputs from agencies)