West Bengal native detained in Kalaburagi over suspected LeT links; Priyank Kharge urges employers to conduct background checks

A man from West Bengal has been detained in Kalaburagi over suspected links with a terrorist organisation, following a joint operation by central intelligence agencies and the local police.

The suspect, identified as Mumtaz-ul-Malik, is a native of West Bengal and was allegedly in contact with social media accounts linked to Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). He is suspected of sharing sensitive information through messages, according to preliminary information.

Mr Malik had reportedly been working at a jewellery workshop in Saraf Bazaar in Kalaburagi along with his brother for the past one-and-a-half years. Investigators are examining his mobile phones and other digital devices for evidence of the alleged communications. Some data is suspected to have been deleted, and the contents of the devices are being scrutinised as part of the ongoing investigation.

The detention comes a month after the arrest of a 23-year-old Mohammed Sameer, a native of Uttar Pradesh who was working at a slaughterhouse in Kalaburagi city. He was arrested over suspected links with terrorist organisations. Investigators reportedly found images and videos allegedly associated with terrorist groups on his mobile phone, along with information indicating contact with individuals through foreign telephone numbers.

Reacting to the latest development, Home Minister Priyank Kharge said preliminary reports received by the Internal Security Division had indicated that two individuals were in contact with a terrorist outfit through social media. While the investigation had established that Mr Malik was in contact with the outfit, the involvement of the other individual was yet to be ascertained, he said.

Mr Kharge said this was the fifth or sixth such case reported recently. Both individuals were from outside Karnataka, he added.

Appeal to background check

Stating that people from other States could not be prevented from coming to Karnataka for employment, as it was their constitutional right, Mr Kharge urged employers to conduct background checks before recruiting workers.

He said the government was prepared to assist employers with the verification process. After the festival season, he said he would convene a meeting with representatives of e-commerce platforms, delivery companies, logistics firms, factories and textile mills to work out a standard operating procedure (SOP) for employee background verification.

The investigation into this particular case is continuing, with the police examining digital communications and other evidence to establish the nature and extent of the alleged links, the Minister said.