Srinagar, 6 July 2025:
Abubacker Siddique, a highly skilled bomb maker who was allegedly influenced by preacher Zakir Naik, was detained by Andhra Pradesh police and referred to as a "big fish" in terrorist networks, according to officials.
Siddique was a "lone wolf" who traveled widely throughout India and the Gulf, becoming proficient with timers and improvised explosive devices (IEDs), according to Deputy Inspector General Koya Praveen of Kurnool Range. In early July, he and his accomplice, Mohammed Ali, were taken into custody by the Tamil Nadu Anti Terrorism Squad in Rayachoti.
Praveen went on to say that Siddique had previously planned a number of terror attacks, such as an IED explosion at the BJP's Malleswaram office in Bengaluru and a pipe bomb incident during former Deputy PM L.K. Adani's Rath Yatra in Madurai in 2011. Police seized bomb making equipment during raids, including ball bearings, digital timers, speed controllers, daggers, and hacking software. They also discovered ISIS inspired literature, explosive manuals, and maps of major cities. On July 3, a package bomb purportedly connected to Siddique was safely dismantled.
DIG Praveen claims that Siddique was inspired to spread terror tactics among like minded people after being "radicalised by Zakir Naik's school of thought." The chargesheet lists offenses under the Explosive Substances Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), and more suspects are being sought. Siddique was arrested with Mohammed Ali, an explosives expert who is also in his late 50s. On July 1, a Tamil Nadu court remanded both to judicial custody.
A decades long manhunt for Siddique, who represents enduring terror threats in South India, has come to an end with this arrest. According to authorities, this is a significant step in tracking the movement of terrorist networks throughout the Gulf and other states.
In addition to advancing screenings of digital evidence and the degree of Siddique's ideological influence through online sermons, Andhra and Tamil Nadu police, in collaboration with the Intelligence Bureau, will continue questioning in an effort to find additional accomplices and financial backers.
