Targeting terror

The National Investigation Agency has scored a victory by busting a terror module. The arrest of a large number of individuals is bound to yield information on how they were radicalised and how far the tentacles of their web of terror spread. The involvement of a person who was a cleric is an indication of how institutions of worship are used as venues of indoctrination. The Harkat-ul-Harb-e-Islam group was inspired by the Islamic State (IS) terrorist organisation. It seems composed mainly of middle-class men, who outwardly appeared to be well integrated with society. 

The seizure of a substantial amount of cash along with over a hundred mobile phones, SIM cards, weapons and explosives lend credence to the claim that the module was in an advanced stage of planning an attack. Surely, the laptops and phones recovered from them would yield a rich cache of useful information. The suspects belong to western UP and Delhi, and Mufti Sohail, a Delhi resident belonging to Amroha, was the leader. Even as the NIA deserves a pat on the back for busting the module, it is for the agency to ensure that it maximises the intelligence gathered from this operation to break other such cells. Radicalised youth lose touch with reality and are preyed on by terrorist organisations and their agents. It is imperative that they are identified and dealt with.

An unseemly political war has erupted about the use of electronic surveillance in this case. The state has and has had the right to monitor those suspected of criminal activity by various means, including electronic. The possibility of misuse of this right must be guarded against by an oversight mechanism. The NIA has, over time, had impressive success in busting IS cells, but its often autonomous nature makes the task difficult.  The battle between terrorists and security agencies is an ongoing one. This victory has been notched, but the case would only end after the conviction of those charged with the conspiracy. Given the overwhelming evidence against them, and the large quantity of explosive material recovered from them, this should not be difficult.