Karnataka Police have arrested two men in Chikkaballapur district for allegedly plotting terror activities across the country and keeping senior BJP leaders in their sights, officials said.
According to the police, the state intelligence wing received inputs—based on information from the Centre—that a group was using the Telegram messaging app to coordinate plans to carry out terror acts in Chikkaballapur.
Investigators identified a 23-year-old man, Sabeer, from Babuji Nagar in Chikkaballapur town, as the alleged creator of the Telegram group. Police said he used it to bring together individuals with anti-national intent and discuss plans for attacks. He was arrested on September 23.
A second suspect, Salman (25), who was part of the same Telegram group and is a native of Uttar Pradesh, was arrested from Arakalagudu in Hassan district. In preliminary questioning, police said the suspects had allegedly discussed targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and BJP leaders Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, C.T. Ravi and Pratap Simha.
Chikkaballapur Superintendent of Police Padmini Sahoo said the duo had allegedly planned bomb blasts in multiple locations and also explored kidnapping wealthy people to raise funds for procuring explosives. Further investigation is under way, and efforts are on to identify and arrest others linked to the Telegram group.
