3 hrs ago
NIA arrests Bengal imam over suspected terror links
India’s National Investigation Agency arrested a mosque imam named Piar Mohammad Sheikh in West Bengal.
The agency suspects he may have links to terrorist networks.
Investigators searched the room where he lived and took a diary and a mobile phone.
They reportedly found phone numbers belonging to several Bangladeshis in the diary.
Sheikh was brought to a police station for questioning.
Some villagers were surprised because they did not know of any alleged terror connections.
Other local people said he often traveled to Bangladesh and had recently stayed there for about six months.
The NIA is also examining possible sleeper cells linked to Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh.
Officials have not said whether his arrest is connected to other raids in West Bengal.
The NIA arrested mosque Imam Piar Mohammad Sheikh in East Burdwan, West Bengal, on suspicion of links with terror networks.
Investigators searched his mosque room and seized a diary and mobile phone, reportedly finding several Bangladeshi phone numbers.
Sheikh was taken to Mangalkot Police Station for questioning after the Tuesday morning operation.
Villagers expressed surprise, while mosque committee members said Sheikh frequently traveled to Bangladesh, including a recent six-month stay.
The NIA is investigating alleged sleeper cells of Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh in connection with a case registered in Assam.
- Who
- The National Investigation Agency arrested Piar Mohammad Sheikh, an Imam at a mosque in Palishgram.
- What
- Sheikh was arrested on suspicion of links with terror networks, and investigators searched his room and seized a diary and mobile phone.
- Where
- The arrest took place at the Palishgram Purbapara mosque in Palishgram village, under Mangalkot Police Station in East Burdwan, West Bengal.
- When
- Tuesday; the reports do not specify the date.
- Why
- The NIA is investigating alleged sleeper cells of the Bangladesh-based Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh and acted on information connected to a case registered in Assam.
Investigators' Concerns
Local Residents' Reactions
Whether Sheikh had terror connections
Investigators' Concerns
The NIA arrested Sheikh on suspicion of links with terror networks and is questioning him as part of its investigation into alleged sleeper cells of Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh.
Local Residents' Reactions
Several villagers said his alleged links with terrorist forces came as a surprise, while some local residents and a mosque committee member highlighted his frequent travel to Bangladesh.
Connection to wider raids
Investigators' Concerns
The arrest occurred amid separate NIA raids and searches at five West Bengal locations linked to information from an Assam case, though investigators have not confirmed a connection.
Local Residents' Reactions
No alternative official explanation was reported; the NIA has remained tight-lipped about whether Sheikh's arrest is connected to those parallel operations.
Key facts
- Arrested
- Piar Mohammad Sheikh
- Occupation
- Imam at a mosque in Palishgram
- District
- East Burdwan, West Bengal
- Seized items
- A diary and a mobile phone
- Reported diary contents
- Phone numbers of several Bangladeshis
- Agency investigation
- Alleged sleeper cells of Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh
- Related case
- A case registered in Assam
Quotes
An unidentified local villager
A Palishgram resident who spoke to local media about Sheikh’s travels to Bangladesh
“Recently, too, he went to Bangladesh and spent almost six months there. He returned to Palishgram again a few months back.”
thehansindia.com
Sources
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