A 20-year-old man from Uttar Pradesh has been arrested by the Davangere police on suspicion of maintaining contact with foreign handlers involved in online radicalisation activities, prompting an investigation into possible terror-related links.

The accused, identified as Suhail, 20, had arrived in Harihara about 15 days ago in search of work and was employed as a painter at a private factory. He was staying in a rented house within the jurisdiction of the Harihara Rural Police Station.

Addressing the media on Tuesday, Davangere Superintendent of Police Shekhar H.T. said the arrest was made following intelligence inputs received by local police.

According to the police, a Harihar rural police sub-inspector noticed suspicious behaviour while on patrol and questioned the youth. His inability to provide satisfactory answers led officers to conduct a detailed verification of his background and digital activities.

“Upon inquiry, he could not answer the questions raised by our police sub-inspector. When we checked his antecedents and mobile phone, we found that he was in touch with certain foreign entities regarding terror-related activities through social media platforms,” Mr. Shekhar said.

A preliminary examination of the suspect’s mobile phone allegedly revealed participation in online radicalisation groups operating through social media and messaging applications. Based on the findings, the police registered a case and arrested him.

No organisational links

The police clarified that at this stage, investigators have not established any connection between the accused and a specific terrorist organisation. “However, he appears to have been in contact with handlers through social media platforms. It is too premature to draw conclusions before a complete analysis of his mobile data is carried out,” the SP said.

Investigators are now conducting a comprehensive forensic analysis of the suspect’s phone and online communications to determine the extent of his activities and identify any other individuals who may have been in contact with the same network.

Associates being verified

The police said Suhail had travelled to Karnataka with a group of around 10 workers from Uttar Pradesh. Authorities are now verifying their identities, backgrounds and possible links to the accused.

“The complete social media data will be analysed before any conclusions are drawn,” Shekhar added.

Tumakuru case links?

Investigators are also examining whether Suhail has any connection to a recent case registered in Tumakuru, where two men were arrested for allegedly communicating with a Pakistan-based handler through social media.

On June 4, Tumakuru police arrested Allabakash of Tumakuru and Zamir Khan of Davangere, alleging that they were in contact with a Pakistan-based individual identified as Rana. The police had claimed that chats recovered from their devices suggested discussions on communal radicalisation and plans to recruit more individuals.

The police said they are likely to seek assistance from central agencies as the probe progresses.