UP youth arrested in Davangere for alleged online radicalization links
The accused, identified as Suhail, 20, had come to Harihara about 15 days ago in search of work and was employed as a painter in a private factory | Photo credit: Getty Images
Police in Davangere arrested a 20-year-old man from Uttar Pradesh on suspicion of maintaining contact with foreign handlers involved in online radicalization activities, prompting an investigation into possible links to terrorism.
The accused, identified as Suhail, 20, had come to Harihara about 15 days ago in search of work and was employed as a painter in a private factory. He lived in a rented house in the jurisdiction of Harihara Rural Police Station.
Addressing the media on Tuesday, Davangere Superintendent of Police Shekhar HT said that the arrest was made on the basis of intelligence received by the local police.
According to the police, a sub-inspector of rural police in Harihar noticed suspicious behavior while on patrol and interrogated the youth. His failure to provide satisfactory answers led the police to conduct detailed checks on his background and digital activities.
“On enquiry, 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 reportedly revealed involvement in online radicalization groups operating through social media and messaging apps. Based on the established facts, the police registered the case and detained him.
No organizational ties
The police clarified that at this stage the investigators have not found any connection between the accused and a specific terrorist organization. “However, he seems to have been in touch with handlers through social media platforms. It is too early to draw conclusions before a complete analysis of his mobile data is done,” 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.
Colleagues are being verified
Police said Suhail had traveled to Karnataka with a group of about 10 workers from Uttar Pradesh. The authorities are now verifying their identity, origin and possible links to the accused.
“Complete social media data will be analyzed before any conclusions are drawn,” Shekhar added.
Links to the Tumakuru case?
Investigators are also probing whether Suhail has any connection with the recent case registered in Tumakuru where two men were arrested for allegedly communicating with a Pakistani handler through social media.
On June 4, the Tumakuru police arrested Allabakash from Tumakuru and Zamir Khan from Davangere, alleging that they were in touch with a Pakistani person identified as Rana. Police claimed the cottages recovered from their facility led to discussions of communal radicalization and plans to recruit more individuals.
Police said they are likely to seek help from central authorities as the investigation progresses.
Published – 24 Jun 2026 19:11 IST