NIA files chargesheet against UP tailor arrested in Gujarat’s Navsari

The Original Case

On January 27, 2026, the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) arrested 22-year-old Faizan (Faijan) Shakil Salmani, from Navsari on January 25, a day before Republic Day, and took him on remand for 12 days.

The ATS had alleged that Salmani was a “lone wolf” whose primary motive was to “identify and carry out targeted killings of those who allegedly insulted the Prophet”.

The ATS’s primary investigation had revealed that Salmani and another wanted accused Mohammed Abu Bakar, inspired by terrorist organisations such as JeM and Al-Qaeda, had planned to spread terror within a specific community. “They also attempted to incite people towards armed rebellion and Jihad to separate Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh from the Union of India,” said the statement from the ATS.

Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Sunil Joshi had then said that his deputy Harsh Upadhyay received confidential information that a man named Faizan, originally from Dundawala, Rampur district (Uttar Pradesh) and currently working as a tailor while residing in the Zarakwad area of Navsari, had hatched a conspiracy. “The plot involved attacking and killing certain well-known youths in UP with weapons to spread terror, as well as conspiring to separate Kashmir from India through Jihad. To execute this conspiracy, he had stockpiled deadly weapons”, he had said.

On the basis of this information, officials conducted technical analysis during which a suspicious Instagram profile used by Faizan, “al.faizangaza”, was identified. Thereafter, his whereabouts were located and confirmed.

Subsequently, a joint team led by DySP Harsh Upadhyay, conducted a raid and apprehended the suspect, who was then taken to the office of the Special Operations Group (SOG) of Navsari Police for further interrogation. A search of his mobile phone revealed allegedly inflammatory literature supporting the ideology of banned terrorist organizations Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Al-Qaeda (AQ).

On the recovery and seizure of material from Salmani’s possesion, the Gujarat ATS in a statement said they found, “a photograph depicting the Red Fort with a black Islamic flag replacing the Tricolour, with “AL FAIZAN CHOUDHARY” written in English at the bottom; a map of the Indian subcontinent where the area of India (excluding Kashmir) is shown in black with Arabic text, while Kashmir depicts the flag of so-called “Azad Kashmir.”; a photo with white English text stating: “Of India in Delhi The death of all these names written is very close, And we will show you how to kill them Inshallah.” (with a list of targets); a map of Asia titled in English: “2026 Overview Muslim Territories Currently Under Kuffar Occupation.”; a photo of the accused with his face covered and finger raised, containing the text “Al-Jihad” which contained a severe threat stating he has “photos of those who insulted the Prophet”.

The seizure also included a world map background with a black Islamic flag over the globe, Arabic/Urdu text, and “Hizb ut-Tahrir” written in English; photos of various individuals with their faces circled (marking them as targets); chats with “Mohammed Abu Bakar” containing inflammatory videos of terrorist Farhatullah Ghori, propaganda videos from the Jaish-e-Mohammed media cell, and audio files of radical speeches in Urdu.

On Tuesday, during the press conference, DIG Joshi said they also seized one Indian-made pistol and 6 live rounds from Salmani’s possession. “Regarding the weapon, he confessed to purchasing the pistol and cartridges six months ago from an unknown person in his native Uttar Pradesh,” said the ATS.

The ATS also claimed to have recovered literature including, “29 pages of suspicious literature containing text in Arabic/Urdu script and photos. Its translation revealed highly objectionable content inciting “Jihad” and misleading youth, with titles such as “Why Al-Qaeda?”, aimed at attracting recruits to banned organisations.”

A statement from the ATS said, “During interrogation in the presence of witnesses, Faizan revealed he had been in contact with a person named “Mohammed Abu Bakar” for the last 6-7 months via WhatsApp, Instagram, and Telegram. About three months ago, he joined a group via his Instagram ID ‘al.faizangaza’. In this group, photos and names of individuals who allegedly insulted the Prophet were circulated with instigation to kill them. Faizan forwarded this to others and conspired to kill them.”

The statement further said, “Faizan and Abu Bakar followed Maulana Masood Azhar and the banned outfit JeM, watching and uploading Jihadi videos of Mufti Abdul Rauf Asgar on Instagram.”

Transfer to NIA & Investigation

The case was transferred to the NIA in February 2026 which re-registered it under RC-02/2026/NIA/AMD.

In its statement on their investigation, the NIA on July 23 said, “The investigation disclosed that the accused also planned to carry out targeted killings to spread communal tensions with the aim of spreading mayhem and disaffection against India. He had illegally procured a weapon along with 6 live cartridges without a valid licence from Uttar Pradesh for this purpose. The weapon was seized during the investigation.”

The NIA further said, “On the directions of his online handler, Faijan had been radicalising and incentivising vulnerable youth to promote violent jihad and armed rebellion to destroy the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India. He was found to have uploaded incriminating videos projecting violence on his Instagram account “al.faijangaza”. During the course of this investigation, the NIA recovered various incriminating videos and photographs from his digital devices eventually leading to the filing of charges against him.”

Further investigation remains underway, “to identify others involved in the conspiracy including the accused’s handler,” said the agency.