Overview
- Haris Ali, a second-year BDS student from Saharanpur, was arrested in Moradabad on March 16 and remains in ATS custody after being produced before a court, officials said.
- ATS alleges he ran anonymous groups on Instagram and encrypted apps such as Session and Discord using VPNs and aliases to disseminate ISIS propaganda and recruit supporters.
- Officials say he created an entity called Al Ittihad Media Foundation, shared content from Al‑Naba and Dabiq, rejected democracy, and encouraged fidayeen attacks.
- Investigators report contacts with ISIS-linked handlers abroad, including in Pakistan, and are working to identify additional members of the online network.
- A case has been registered under BNS sections 148, 152, 61(2) and UAPA sections 18, 18B, 38, with digital evidence recovered and forensic analysis underway, including a probe into possible links to the earlier 'medicos module'.