Purnia : In Bihar’s Purnia district, a youth has been arrested following an operation conducted by local police—acting on intelligence provided by the Intelligence Bureau (IB)—over allegations of maintaining suspicious links with Pakistan and participating in radical activities on social media.
The arrested individual, identified as 23-year-old Shahid Akhtar—son of Shamim Akhtar and a resident of Kali Prasad Yadav Tola under the Madhubani police station area—was taken into custody in connection with the case, which came to light on Wednesday, November 11.
According to police and intelligence sources, Shahid had been in contact with a suspected radical network since 2025. This network is believed to include individuals from Pakistan, as well as from Hyderabad, West Bengal, and other parts of India.
It is alleged that the youth was disseminating objectionable and radical content via social media and messaging platforms. During the investigation, it was discovered that a Pakistani mobile number was present in one of the groups he was associated with.
Following a raid based on intelligence inputs, the youth’s mobile phone and laptop have been seized for forensic examination. Given the gravity of the situation, several security agencies—including the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), and the Bihar Special Task Force (STF)—have begun interrogations and an in-depth probe into the network.
Purnia Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Dr. Shaurya Suman confirmed the arrest. He stated that an investigation is underway regarding activities on social media that threaten social harmony, as well as the suspect’s alleged foreign connections. The police are currently tracing the links of the entire network based on digital evidence. Further legal action in the matter is ongoing.
