The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has made significant progress in a chilling case that reveals how terror recruitment and radicalisation were happening right under everyone’s nose—in the name of Arabic language education. Four individuals—Ahmed Ali, Jawahar Sathik, Raja Abdullah (also known as MAC Raja), and Sheik Dawood—have been arrested in what is now known as the Tamil Nadu radicalisation and recruitment case. This case is a direct offshoot of the horrifying Coimbatore car bomb blast.

So far, a total of eight individuals have been arrested in connection with the case. The latest four, according to NIA, had been brainwashed by none other than "Jameel Basha, the founder of Madras Arabic College, who, along with his associates, was involved in recruiting gullible youth and subtly infusing Salafi-Jihadi ideology into them in the guise of imparting Arabic language classes in Tamil Nadu."

Previously, NIA had already arrested "Jameel Basha and his associates Irshath, Syed Abdur Rahman and Mohammed Hussain, who were using the classrooms and social platform to carry out their anti-national radicalisation and recruitment activities." Investigators revealed a terrifying truth—these men were not teaching language, but spreading hate and militant ideology. "NIA investigations have revealed that the accused had promoted Khilafat ideology and martyrdom through jihad, advocating violence and armed struggle to establish an Islamic state after removing the democratically elected government."

These dangerous activities ultimately led to the Coimbatore car bomb blast of October 2022, where a suicide attacker named Jamesha Mubeen launched an IED explosion in a vehicle, right outside an ancient Hindu temple.

The city of Coimbatore, a bustling hub of industrial activity in Tamil Nadu, was shaken to its core on October 23, 2022. Just a day earlier, CCTV footage had captured "an engineering graduate named Jamesha Mubin loading a large object (LPG cylinder) wrapped in white bag onto his Maruti 800 car" at around 11:25 pm. He wasn’t alone—"Mubin was accompanied by 3 other men, namely, Mohammad Riyaz, Feroz Ismail and Mohammad Navaz Ismail."

By 4 am, the vehicle had exploded near Kottai Easwaran Temple in Coimbatore's Ukkadam area. At first, the scene appeared to be a tragic accident. Police and forensic teams rushed in. "A total of 6 teams were formed, as part of the probe. ADGP P Thamarai Kannan reviewed the situation at ground zero." Initial findings pointed out that "one of the two commercial cylinders onboard the car had exploded while the other remained intact." Tragically, the remains of Jamesha Mubeen were found in such a state that they were "unrecognisable."

Initially, it was assumed that the blast might have been caused by an accidental gas leak. However, many people raised doubts, including "BJP leader K Annamalai." His skepticism wasn’t misplaced. As deeper investigations unfolded, police finally confirmed that "it was part of a terror act and it was not a regular accident. Jamesha Mubin was motivated by the Islamic State and engaged in preparing for jihad."

The goal of the attack was gruesome. "Reportedly, he was on a suicide mission to destroy a large area including a Hindu temple using his car bomb." However, the plot failed. Mubeen died in the premature explosion. The blast was not just a random event—it was a terror strike that didn’t succeed as planned. Authorities believe that Mubeen "learnt about explosives from the Internet and he had no training in making bombs, which resulted in the failure of the mission."

More sinister evidence was discovered at Mubeen’s home. Investigators found "handwritten entries (in Tamil), involving references to Muslims as ‘second-class citizens,’ the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, the hijab dispute in Karnataka, and a flow diagram with the names of Gods from various religions." This further exposed the radical mindset that had been instilled in him. Till now, 18 jihadis have already been arrested in the case.

The focus has returned to the Arabic language centre where much of this indoctrination took place. Last year, NIA confirmed the filing of a chargesheet against "4 men for radicalising youths and recruiting them for terrorist outfit ISIS." The names are the same again—"Jameel Basha, Mohammed Hussain, Irshath and Syed Abdur Rahman." They have been "charged under the relevant sections of the IPC and UA (P) Act."

The religious brainwashing wasn’t subtle. It was a deliberate process. "The NIA, during the investigation into the explosion that was triggered outside an ancient temple in Coimbatore, had established that the majority of the accused arrested in the case were engaged in the recruitment of gullible youth to the ISIS fold for the commission of unlawful and terrorist activities."

The place where all of this began? A school. "The religious indoctrination was carried out by the accused at an Arabic language centre called Madras Arabic College (at Coimbatore), later renamed as Kovai Arabic College," the agency stated. The main operator, "Jameel Basha, was the patron and chief mentor, who had guided his alumni to establish Arabic language centres at the district level."

Two of these alumni, "Mohammed Hussain and Irshath," opened the Coimbatore unit. It wasn’t a traditional classroom. "Jameel Basha’s live or recorded speeches were played for the students at these centres. Social media platforms were also utilized to radicalize young people."

The NIA confirmed that the "IED planted in a car exploded outside the Coimbatore temple ‘as part of the violent jehad espoused by the accused’." The suicide attacker, Mubeen, "was radicalized by accused Syed Abdur Rahman and swore allegiance to Darul-e-Islam, or ISIS. He carried out the IED blast as part of the terrorist group’s anti-India campaign."

This case stands as one of the most concerning examples of how extremist networks exploit educational platforms and social unrest to spread their ideology. The NIA's ongoing investigation continues to shed light on this dangerous ecosystem and is a vital step in preventing further radicalisation and protecting India's democratic fabric.