The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has informed a special court that it is probing four Telegram accounts linked to software engineer Zubair Hangargekar, after their IP addresses were traced to Afghanistan and Hong Kong.
He was arrested on October 27 for his alleged links with banned terrorist organisations, including Al Qaeda, Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), and for suspected involvement in radicalisation activities. (REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO)
On Wednesday, the court remanded Hangargekar to ATS custody till January 3. He was arrested on October 27 for his alleged links with banned terrorist organisations, including Al Qaeda, Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), and for suspected involvement in radicalisation activities.
Seeking further custodial interrogation, the prosecution told the court that analysis of electronic devices seized from Hangargekar and his associates revealed the use of ideological material associated with terror groups such as ISIS and Al Qaeda.
According to the ATS, the group allegedly targeted Muslim youths through religious gatherings, initially introducing them to religious teachings to influence their thinking. These sessions were gradually used to increase religiosity, and the youths were brought together at Padgah in Thane. The prosecution said these gatherings were used to further radicalise participants and conduct sessions to assess their mental and physical endurance.
The ATS told the court that investigators came across 108 Telegram IDs linked to Hangargekar’s account. Details of eight IDs have been obtained so far, of which four were found to have IP addresses located outside India, including Afghanistan and Hong Kong, requiring further investigation.
Hangargekar was earlier in judicial custody after spending 18 days in ATS remand. Officials said the probe agency had sought judicial custody last month while reserving the right to seek further police custody, leaving a portion of the permissible ATS remand period unused. Under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), an accused can be kept in police custody for a maximum of 30 days.
The ATS has also stated that a Pakistani contact number was found saved on Hangargekar’s old mobile phone. Further scrutiny of the contact list revealed five international numbers—one from Pakistan, two from Saudi Arabia, and one each from Kuwait and Oman. However, call detail records did not show any outgoing or incoming calls to these numbers. When questioned, Hangargekar reportedly told investigators that he could not recall details related to the contacts.
Earlier, the ATS had told a Pune court that Hangargekar allegedly delivered aggressive religious discourses in the Kondhwa area. During a search of his residence, investigators recovered mobile phones containing deleted PDF files titled ‘AQIS and All Its Manifestations’. An Urdu translation of a speech by former Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden delivered on Eid-ul-Fitr was also seized.
