Networked Terror And Silent Signals: Decrypting Al-Qaeda Cyber-Radicalisation Module In Pune

Occasional Paper

By:  Lt Col Ujjual Abhishek Jha (Retd)

Introduction

The detection and unearthing of an Al-Qaeda module by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) in Pune highlights the contemporary architecture of cyber-enabled radicalisation in India. Zubair Hangargekar, a software engineer, was an ideologically motivated professional who maintained a successful career. Notably, he largely remained outside the radar of intelligence agencies and his employer for several years.

The German Bakery blast of 2010, the low-intensity blast of 2012, and the ISIS module of the Kondhwa to Hangargekar case have repeatedly drawn the attention of India’s counter-terrorism agencies to Pune. The repetition is attributed to a unique mix that has made Pune an ideal ecosystem for these clandestine operations. The city has a large, talented pool of highly educated techies, alongside diverse demographics facilitating a seamless blend. Its connectivity to Mumbai and other cities further enables physical mobility, creating a permissible environment for these networks to flourish.

To understand the developments, it is important to note that in September 2014, then Al-Qaeda’s chief, Ayman al-Zawahiri, announced the formation of Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) as a dedicated regional unit for establishing/reviving Al-Qaeda’s relevance in the Indian Subcontinent. In the initial years, AQIS was reportedly led by Maulana Asim Umar. He was suspected to be an Indian-origin cleric from Uttar Pradesh who joined Harkat-ul-Mujahideen in the 1990s and later Al-Qaeda. After his killing in 2019 in Afghanistan, AQIS has been dependent on online propaganda, including magazines, translated speeches, and social media, for identification, cultivation, and mobilization of sympathizers across the Indian subcontinent. The Pune AQIS module generally falls inside this pattern of AQIS, presenting a recruitment and propaganda module rather than a fully operational violent cell, though the route towards violence existed in the form of recovered bomb-making materials.  

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Disclaimer: This paper is the author's individual scholastic contribution and does not necessarily reflect the organization's viewpoint.

Lt Col Ujjual Abhishek Jha (Retd) is an Intelligence veteran and Geopolitical Risk Analyst with over two decades of experience in Military Intelligence and National Security operations across sensitive theatres of the North East, Punjab and Gujarat borders. He is a Fellow at Usanas Foundation.