Uttar Pradesh busted a major module in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh with ISI links. Three individuals were arrested by the police in connection with the module, on Monday (21st July). According to police, the arrestees named Nadeem, Mansher, and Rahees, all hailing from the Kakrauli village of Muzaffarnagar, revealed during interrogation that they were planning to create communal riots amid the Kanwar Yatra 2025.
While monitoring social media as part of security vigil for the ongoing Kanwar Yatra, the Kakrauli police station received some inputs about fake videos being circulated on social media showing children being brutally killed by Bajrang Dal members.
Some audio messages were also circulated claiming that Bajrang Dal members killed Muslims in Mansoorpur and other nearby villages in Muzaffarnagar. According to police, the videos were from Pakistan and were circulated as part of a plot to create communal riots amid the Kanwar Yatra.
The videos were shared in five WhatsApp groups named- Khidmat Abbasi Group (around 450 members), Proud Indian Muslims (around 450 members), Muslim Samaj Zindabad (around 150 members), All India Employed Group (around 850 members) and Kakrauli Yuva Ekta (around 150 members). Police said that there was an attempt to create communal disturbance using the video or a lone-wolf attack could also be carried out.
#WATCH | Uttar Pradesh: Three people, Nadeem, Mansher and Rahees, arrested by Muzaffarnagar Police for circulating a viral video purportedly from Pakistan, on several WhatsApp groups, falsely claiming the killing of Muslims in Mansoorpur and nearby villages by Bajrang Dal… pic.twitter.com/vgRdK8vldu
— ANI (@ANI) July 21, 2025
ISI connection in the case
While briefing the media on Monday, DIG Saharanpur Abhishek Singh said that since the videos are from Pakistan, there is a possibility that these could have been supplied by some ISI handlers. Police are investigating a possible ISI connection in the case. The DIG added that teams of Uttar Pradesh police are conducting searches in several other states to nab all the culprits linked to the module.
“There are four WhatsApp groups which have hundreds of members and they have seen this video. This video is from Pakistan. So, it can’t be denied that these videos could have been sent from across the border and the videos could have been further circulated through different modules. Our teams are conducting raids in other states too so that all people linked to this module/gang are arrested at the earliest and other linkages can be exposed…We feel it appropriate to investigate an angle of infiltration through Pakistan-based ISI handlers,” said the DIG.
Preliminary investigation reportedly revealed that the video related to an incident that happened in the Muzaffargarh district of Pakistan in April 2024, in which he brutally chopped his wife and 7 children with an axe. The video was passed of as relating to an incident in the Moradabad district of Uttar Pradesh, purportedly showing a Bajrang Dal member killing Muslim women and children by Bajrang Dal members. According to police, the culprits deliberately chose to circulate the video and audio at this time to trigger communal violence as the Kanwar Yatra is at it peak.
The Police have registered a case under sections 55/ 61(2)/ 103(2)/ 113(3)/ 147/ 152/ 196/ 197/ 299/ 351(3)/353(2) of the BNS, section 13 of the UAPA Act, and section 67 of the IT Act. Besides, the police have seized three mobile phones from the possession of the accused.