Maharashtra ATS conducts searches in Thane in terror case

The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on Monday conducted searches in Thane district, including at the residence of a former SIMI office-bearer, in connection with a terrorism-related case, officials said.

An ATS team along with the Thane rural police started searches in the morning at Padgha village in the district, an official said without elaborating.

The residence of Saquib Nachan, former office-bearer of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), was among the premises searched by the ATS team, he said.

"We have identified certain individuals and searches are going on accordingly," the official said without giving more details.

"We are trying to find out if something is wrong there (in Padgha)," he added.

In 2023, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted searches at Padgha in Thane as a part of a nationwide crackdown on the terror outfit ISIS and had arrested several persons, including Nachan.