Bengaluru Woman Arrested For Promoting Al-Qaeda Ideology, Urged Pakistani Army To Invade India

Last Updated:August 07, 2025, 13:12 IST

Ansari was arrested from her residence on July 29 on charges of spreading propaganda on behalf of Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS)

Ansari’s digital footprint led investigators to link her to one of four individuals arrested two weeks earlier in a multi-state operation. (PTI)

Shama Parveen Ansari, a Bengaluru-based woman arrested by the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), had allegedly appealed to Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir to invade India under “Operation Sindoor" as part of a radical campaign to “unify Muslim lands" under “Project Khilafat," officials said.

Ansari was arrested from her residence on July 29 on charges of spreading propaganda on behalf of Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), a banned terror organisation. According to the ATS, she operated two Facebook pages and one Instagram account with approximately 10,000 followers, where she regularly posted jihadi, anti-India content, as well as material linked to AQIS and other radical preachers.

The ATS said that on May 9, two days after India launched Operation Sindoor targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and PoK, Ansari posted an appeal on Facebook urging General Munir to seize the “golden opportunity" to attack India. The post featured Munir’s photograph and read: “You have a golden opportunity… adopt Project Khilafat for the implementation of Islam, unify Muslim lands, and march forward to eliminate Hindutva and Zionism… So march forward."

She also posted multiple videos on Instagram to further the AQIS narrative. One video featured a radical preacher criticising Indian Muslims for supporting the Indian Army and for condemning the Pahalgam terror attack. Another clip showed Abdul Aziz, the Imam of Lahore’s Lal Masjid, making provocative calls to establish a Khilafat system in India through armed revolution. A third video allegedly featured an AQIS leader speaking about “Ghazwa-e-Hind" and calling for violence against the Indian state, particularly targeting Hindus and democratic institutions.

Ansari’s digital footprint led investigators to link her to one of four individuals arrested two weeks earlier in a multi-state operation for allegedly sharing similar provocative content on Instagram. The four, including two individuals from Gujarat, were arrested from different locations.

All five accused, including Ansari, have been booked under various sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), the ATS said in its statement.

(With inputs from PTI)

News Desk

The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d...Read More

The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d...

Read More

Location :

First Published:

August 07, 2025, 13:12 IST

News india Bengaluru Woman Arrested For Promoting Al-Qaeda Ideology, Urged Pakistani Army To Invade India

Read More