They last saw him eight months ago. Now UP tailor’s family finds he’s arrested in Gujarat — on terror charges

Speaking to The Indian Express, advocate Mohammad Arif, son of Narpat Nagar panchayat’s chairman Khalid Ali, said: “We know Faizan very well. He is uneducated and cannot even sign his name. He and his family are simple people…”

Faizan is the third among four children. His father, Shakeel Ahmed Salmani, is a caterer for social and family functions. Shakeel did not respond to calls seeking comment.

Arif also claimed Faizan’s phone may have been “hacked”, which could have led to his involvement in the case.

According to Station House Officer, Swaar police station (Rampur), Pradeep Kumar Malik, a detailed inquiry was conducted and no criminal background has been found against Faizan.

Officials also stated that preliminary verification has not revealed his past involvement in illegal or suspicious activities.

Local residents said Faizan’s family had sent him to Gujarat to earn a livelihood and support the household financially.

Faizan was arrested in Navsari on January 25 and produced before a local court, which sent him to 12-day police remand. He was brought to the ATS headquarters in Ahmedabad on January 26, officials said.

The ATS, in a statement, claimed, “Faizan’s primary motive was to identify and carry out targeted killings of those who allegedly insulted the Prophet. Primary investigation revealed that Faizan and one Mohammed Abu Bakar, a wanted accused, conspired to wage war against the Government of India and incite violence. Inspired by terrorist organisations like JeM and Al-Qaeda, they 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.”

Describing the accused as a “lone wolf”, ATS Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Sunil Joshi had said at a press conference on Tuesday that they seized an Indian-made pistol and six live rounds from Faizan’s possession. “He admitted to purchasing the pistol and cartridges six months ago from an unidentified person in UP,” claimed the ATS.

Faizan has been booked under relevant sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Arms Act.

On how they tracked Faizan, DIG Joshi had said, “Deputy SP Harsh Upadhyay received confidential information that Faizan… had hatched a conspiracy. The plot involved attacking and killing certain well-known youth in UP… to spread terror, as well as conspiring to separate Kashmir from India through Jihad.”

Based on the information, officials said they conducted a technical analysis during which a suspicious Instagram profile, ‘al.faizangaza’, purportedly used by Faizan, was identified. Subsequently, a joint team led by Deputy SP Upadhyay conducted a raid and apprehended the suspect.