The health condition of Saquib Nachan, a former member of a banned terror organisation and a convict in the 2002–03 Mulund blast case, has reportedly deteriorated while in Tihar Jail. Nachan, who was arrested last year for alleged links to the ISIS Maharashtra module, suffered a hemorrhagic stroke about three days ago, according to a senior officer from a central agency.
“He was rushed to a government hospital in Delhi after his health deteriorated due to what appears to be a hemorrhagic stroke inside Tihar,” the officer told mid-day. Sources from Padgha village informed mid-day that Nachan’s son and son-in-law are currently in Delhi, exploring options to shift the ailing senior citizen to a private hospital for better medical treatment. “They may move the court seeking permission to transfer him to a private facility,” the source said.
mid-day attempted to contact officials at the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Tihar Jail, but none were willing to comment on Nachan’s medical status. Nachan is known by several aliases, including Raveesh, Saquib, and Khalid.
Arrest in 2023
Nachan was arrested by the NIA in December 2023, following coordinated raids across 44 locations in Maharashtra and Karnataka. Along with Nachan, 14 operatives of the ISIS Maharashtra Module were taken into custody during the nationwide crackdown.
According to NIA sources, Nachan had allegedly assumed the role of a self-proclaimed ISIS leader with the authority to administer bayat — an oath of allegiance to the ISIS Khalifa. He was arrested from his native twin villages, Borivli-Padgha, in Thane district.
The massive operation involved hundreds of officers from the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and local police. They assisted the NIA in apprehending suspects accused of promoting terrorism and supporting the banned outfit`s agenda.
Seizures made during the 2023 raids included unaccounted cash, arms, and radical material: one pistol, two air guns, eight swords and knives, 38 mobile phones, two laptops, six hard drives, CDs, and 51 Hamas flags. Authorities also recovered R68.03 lakh in cash and a cache of radical literature.
Investigations revealed that the accused were running the ISIS Maharashtra module from Padgha-Borivli. The group had allegedly conspired to spread terror across India under the guise of violent jihad and Khilafat, while working under the direction of foreign handlers.
Sleeper cell probe
Earlier this month, the Maharashtra ATS and local police conducted pre-dawn raids in Padgha and Bhiwandi, targeting associates of Saquib Nachan. Acting on intelligence inputs, officials discovered an alleged sleeper cell operating in Borivli village.
This network was reportedly radicalising local youth under a system called Shariyat-e-Al-Sham, aimed at setting up a parallel governance model. Investigators seized 19 mobile phones and digital devices suspected to be linked to ISIS and foreign terror organisations. Authorities also found that some recruits had recently travelled to Turkey, raising red flags about international links. Although no arrests have been made in the latest operation, two FIRs have been filed under the Arms Act.
Background on ISIS
ISIS, also known as the Islamic State (IS), ISIL, Daish, or ISIS-K (Islamic State in Khorasan Province), is a global terror organisation. It has been actively expanding its presence in India through covert recruitment and establishing local modules.
