In a major breakthrough, the Uttar Pradesh Police unearthed a dangerous conspiracy in Muzaffarnagar with suspected links to Pakistan’s notorious ISI. On Monday, 21st July, law enforcement officials arrested three men — Nadeem, Mansher, and Rahees, all residents of Kakrauli village. According to the police, these individuals admitted during questioning that they had planned to incite communal riots during the Kanwar Yatra 2025, one of the largest religious gatherings in North India.

As part of heightened surveillance during the Kanwar Yatra, officers from Kakrauli police station began monitoring social media for any signs of unrest. It was during this vigilance that they stumbled upon disturbing content — videos showing children being brutally killed, allegedly by Bajrang Dal members. These clips were not only graphic but also paired with audio messages claiming that Muslims had been attacked and killed in Mansoorpur and nearby areas in Muzaffarnagar.

However, the truth was far more sinister. The police discovered that the videos actually originated from Pakistan, and were deliberately circulated to fuel communal tensions in India. The aim was clear: to provoke religious violence during the sacred Kanwar Yatra.

These videos were circulated across five WhatsApp groups, which collectively had thousands of members:

• Khidmat Abbasi Group (approximately 450 members)

• Proud Indian Muslims (approximately 450 members)

• Muslim Samaj Zindabad (approximately 150 members)

• All India Employed Group (approximately 850 members)

• Kakrauli Yuva Ekta (approximately 150 members)

Police officers noted that this was not just a case of misinformation but a calculated attempt to create communal unrest. Authorities also feared the situation could escalate into a lone-wolf attack, indicating the seriousness of the threat.

Suspected Involvement of Pakistan's ISI: DIG Hints at Cross-Border Conspiracy

Addressing the media, DIG Saharanpur Abhishek Singh made a significant revelation regarding the origin of the video. He stated, “There are four WhatsApp groups which have hundreds of members and they have seen this video. This video is from Pakistan. So, it can’t be denied that these videos could have been sent from across the border and the videos could have been further circulated through different modules. Our teams are conducting raids in other states too so that all people linked to this module/gang are arrested at the earliest and other linkages can be exposed…We feel it appropriate to investigate an angle of infiltration through Pakistan-based ISI handlers.”

This clearly points toward a larger, organized network — possibly operating under Pakistan's ISI — aimed at destabilizing communal harmony in India. DIG Singh confirmed that police teams are now conducting searches in other states to arrest all suspects involved in the operation and to expose any wider network.

Further investigation into the video revealed that it depicted a gruesome crime committed in April 2024 in Muzaffargarh district, Pakistan, where a man murdered his wife and seven children with an axe. Despite this horrifying origin, the video was falsely portrayed as an incident from Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, and presented as a Bajrang Dal member slaughtering Muslim women and children. The calculated timing — during the peak of the Kanwar Yatra — suggests that the accused intended to provoke widespread violence.

The police have taken swift action. They have filed charges under numerous provisions, including:

• Sections 55/ 61(2)/ 103(2)/ 113(3)/ 147/ 152/ 196/ 197/ 299/ 351(3)/ 353(2) of the BNS

• Section 13 of the UAPA Act

• Section 67 of the IT Act

In addition, three mobile phones were recovered from the possession of the accused, which are now being examined for more evidence.

The incident highlights the growing misuse of social media by radical elements, possibly with foreign backing, to engineer violence and disrupt social harmony. The authorities’ quick response may have averted a major disaster, but the case underlines the urgent need for digital vigilance and cross-border cyber intelligence collaboration.