Lucknow: A local Lucknow youth yesterday approached police after he received a link on WhatsApp to join a group created in the name of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). Police have traced the message to a 15-year-old boy in Bhilwada, Rajasthan, and have alerted their counterparts in that state.
A class 9 student is accused of inviting members of a WhatsApp group to join another group named ‘Lashkar-e-Taiba’ (LeT), said Uttar Pradesh police. The schoolboy hails from Bhilwara district of Rajasthan. The invitation was sent a few days ago.
The Uttar Pradesh registered a case after a youth reported to them that he has received the invitation on WhatsApp from the group named “Lashkar-e-Taiba”. According to IG Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) Asim Arun, it was not yet clear whether the youth joined the LeT group or not.
“When the members of the group clicked on the invitation link, there was nothing. An FIR has been registered against the sender of the invitation under sections of the IPC and the IT Act. We have also informed the UP Anti-Terrorist Squad,” Lucknow cyber-crime cell nodal officer Abhay Mishra told news agency media persons.
“The number from which the invitation had come was tracked. It was found the invitation had come from Bhilwara district of Rajasthan. We are working with the Rajasthan Police on this case,” Arun added. The sender is likely to be questioned today.
Meanwhile, an FIR has been lodged against unidentified people under IPC Section 153-A and Section 66-F of the IT Act.
The Lucknow youth, identified as 20-year-old Manoj Kumar Gupta (20), received the “invitation” on a WhatsApp group.
15-year-old boy invites Lucknow youth to join ‘Lashkar’ on WhatsApp!:
He also received another message to join the “MIM,” the name of which couldn’t be ascertained.
When he clicked on the links, “there was nothing,” said Abhay Mishra, cyber-crime cell.
But as a “responsible citizen,” Gupta informed police about it.
ATS IG Asim Arun said that by the time they started investigations, the ‘Lashkar-e-Taiba’ group had expired and so no data could be recovered.
The Rajasthan police is expected to question the Class 9 student in the matter.
Both state’s police are cooperating with each other.
Earlier this month, the anti-terror squad (ATS) had arrested a Ghazipur resident who had been radicalized through messaging groups.
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