A student activist and self-described independent journalist from Kerala arrested earlier this month under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and several provisions of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita for allegedly preparing to wage war against the country was active on the dark web, an official from the Nagpur unit of the Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) said on Monday.
Rejaz M Sheeba Sydeek, aged 26, was arrested by Lakadganj police on May 7, from a hotel in Nagpur, Maharashtra, after his online activities were placed under surveillance. Sydeek had made social media posts on Instagram condemning Operation Sindoor, the recent strike by Indian Armed Forces on terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, and also criticised counterinsurgency operations against Naxals.
His house in Kerala’s Ernakulam district was later raided on May 11, resulting in the seizure of incriminating documents, the official added.
“A preliminary scan of the digital devices belonging to him has revealed he was active on the dark web and was making inflammatory comments and posting his ideas. The Anti Terrorism Squad will send the digital devices to the cyber-forensic laboratory for in-depth investigation,” the official said.
The dark web refers to a part of the internet not indexed by standard search engines, accessible only through specific software. It offers a high degree of anonymity to users and is frequently associated with illicit activities, including drug trafficking and data breaches.
The official further said that a local court extended Sydeek’s police custody by two days on Sunday. His online activity reportedly included provocative posts and an image in which he was holding a firearm after visiting a rifle shop in Nagpur. He was initially booked under sections 149 (preparing to wage war against the Government of India), 192 (provocation with intent to cause riots), 351 (criminal intimidation), and 353 (statements conducive to public mischief) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Following further investigation, sections 38 and 39 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, pertaining to membership of a terrorist organisation and providing support to such groups, were added to the case, which was subsequently transferred from Lakadganj police to the ATS.