A multi-agency counter-terror probe led by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Karnataka Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has arrested Mohammad Suhail in Davanagere, Karnataka, in connection with a bomb threat targeting the Ram Mandir. What began as a localised arrest in southern India has now expanded into a multi-state investigation stretching between Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh, with agencies increasingly focusing on digital evidence and online interactions as the central thread of the case.
Suhail, originally from Lakhnauti village in the Gangoh area of Saharanpur district, Uttar Pradesh, had been working in Karnataka as a painter. According to officials, his name emerged during the interrogation of two earlier arrested suspects, 22-year-old Zameer Khan from Davanagere and 24-year-old Alla Baksh from Tumakuru, both detained on 4 June in separate but related investigations. While authorities are still verifying whether the cases are directly linked, the emerging overlap has prompted a broader probe into possible network-based activity.
At the core of the investigation is what agencies describe as a significant digital footprint. Officials say Suhail’s mobile phone contained Pakistani phone numbers, participation in multiple suspicious WhatsApp groups, and images featuring weapons. More critically, audio recordings recovered from the device allegedly include conversations referencing a potential attack on the Ram Mandir, which has intensified the scrutiny around his online activity and contacts.
Davanagere Superintendent of Police HT Shekhar said preliminary findings suggest that Suhail was in contact with individuals linked to Pakistan-based networks through social media platforms. He added that while similarities exist with earlier cases in Karnataka’s Tumakuru region, investigators are still working to establish whether these incidents form part of a coordinated structure or remain isolated digital interactions. Shekhar also confirmed that intelligence inputs regarding the movement of a group of around 10 individuals into Karnataka are being examined as part of the wider inquiry.
The arrest was formally communicated to Uttar Pradesh authorities on 24 June after Karnataka police informed the Gangoh police station. Saharanpur SP Mayank Pathak confirmed receipt of the information and said local police have begun coordination with central agencies. DIG Abhishek Singh of the Saharanpur Range assured full cooperation, stating that support would be extended whenever required during the investigation process.
The investigation continues to expand across jurisdictions. Agencies are now examining financial transactions linked to Suhail across Saharanpur and surrounding districts to determine whether there was any structured support system or whether the activity was limited to online interactions without operational backing.
As the probe deepens, investigators are increasingly treating the case as one driven by digital behaviour rather than physical coordination alone. Encrypted chats, social media exchanges, and alleged audio discussions have become central to reconstructing how the accused may have interacted within online ecosystems that officials believe require deeper scrutiny.
With multiple agencies coordinating across states and several leads still under verification, the investigation remains open-ended. Yet it already highlights a shifting security challenge, where alleged radicalisation pathways are being mapped not through physical networks alone, but through the complex and often opaque architecture of digital communication platforms.
