High-Profile Terror Operative Dies in Judicial Custody
On June 28, 2025, Saquib Nachan, a high-profile terror operative and former general secretary of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), died while in judicial custody in Delhi. At 66 years old, he hailed from Padgha in Thane rural. Nachan was a convict in multiple terror-related cases and had been arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in December 2023 for allegedly orchestrating ISIS terror modules in Maharashtra.
According to the NIA, Nachan was accused of administering ‘bayath’ or the ‘oath of allegiance to the ISIS Khalifa’ to young recruits of the terror group. His son, Shamil Nachan, was also arrested by the NIA in August 2023 in connection with the Pune ISIS module case. To date, the NIA has arrested 11 terror operatives in this case. The agency alleged that these individuals assembled and tested bombs in Pune, while planning terror attacks across various cities in Maharashtra and Gujarat.
Breakthrough: Suspect Arrested for Vehicle Theft
The investigation took a significant turn when three suspects were arrested on July 18, 2023, during night patrolling in Pune’s Kothrud area. The suspects—Mohammed Shahnawaz Alam, Mohammed Yusuf Khan, and Mohammed Yunus Mohammed Yakub Saki—were found residing in Kondhwa. During a house search, the police recovered suspicious items such as drone material, white powder, a pistol pouch, and a live cartridge.
Subsequently, an FIR was lodged against them under several sections of the Indian Penal Code and other relevant laws. Forensic investigations confirmed that the white powder was an explosive substance. The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) then took over the probe and invoked sections of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) against the accused. The ATS also claimed to have recovered bomb-making materials, including chemical powder, charcoal, a thermometer, and various electronic components.
NIA Takes Over the Probe
On June 23, 2023, the NIA registered the “Maharashtra ISIS terror module case” and arrested six individuals. The probe revealed that some of the accused had links with the ATS case suspects. The NIA eventually took over the probe from the ATS and renamed it the Pune ISIS Module case. Investigations showed that key accused, including Zulfikar Ali Barodawala, played a critical role in raising the ISIS Sleeper Cell in Maharashtra.
Barodawala was alleged to have trained Khan, Saki, and Alam in bomb-making at their Kondhwa residence. The ATS alleged that they tested bombs at secluded locations in Pune and surrounding areas. The NIA also claimed to have recovered handwritten notes and other evidence related to IED fabrication training.
11 Accused Chargesheeted
In November 2023, the NIA chargesheeted seven accused, including Khan, Saki, Pathan, Kazi, Barodawala, Akif Nachan, and Shamil Nachan. Further charges were filed in March 2024 against Alam and three other wanted accused. Rizwan Ali, one of the accused, was arrested in August 2024 by the Delhi Police’s Special Cell. He had previously been intercepted by the Bureau of Immigration at the Mumbai International Airport after returning from Jakarta, Indonesia.
The probe revealed that Rizwan became involved with ISIS through social media radicalization. He befriended Alam in 2017 and later connected with Khan and Saki. All four were indoctrinated into ISIS operations. The NIA alleged that the accused conducted reconnaissance in the Western Ghats for potential hideouts. Additionally, the agency recovered a drone, clothes, and a knife used during the ‘bayath’ ceremony.
