Bengaluru Police, under the Congress-led Karnataka government, have arrested a 25-year-old Muslim man from West Bengal who wanted to fight against Pakistan. The accused has been identified as Asafool Mallik, some reports say Asaful Malik Bin Abed Malik, a native of Naopara village in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district. He was detained from Bengaluru’s Jigani area over suspicious online activities and suspected links with terror groups.
Reports say that Asafool Malik wanted to join the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and was planning retaliatory attacks against the Pakistan Army. He was reportedly in contact with a person linked to the Pakistan-based terror outfit and had explored travelling to Afghanistan.
An NDTV report says that Malik was allegedly being urged to “retaliate if Muslims faced difficulties in India.”
Mallik had been living near APC Circle in Jigani and was working as a security guard at Tata Advanced Limited in the Jigani Industrial Area since December 2025. Police said they first received information about his activities while patrolling the Bommasandra Industrial Area.
Mallik wanted to fight Pakistan
During questioning, Mallik told police that he was angry over what he believed were atrocities by the Pakistani military against Muslims in Pakistan. Police said he referred to attacks on mosques and civilians and also expressed anger over Pakistan’s position on the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Investigators claim that Mallik had established contact through Facebook with Imran Haider, a person from Afghanistan who is suspected of having links with the TTP. Mallik sought Haider’s help to travel to Afghanistan and had also applied for a visa.
However, police said Mallik later abandoned the plan, citing financial difficulties and the need to look after his family.
Police examine phone records
After detaining Mallik, police examined his mobile phone and recovered chats between him and Haider. Investigators also found records of several voice calls and audio conversations between the two.
Police are now examining the chats, voice recordings and other material recovered from the phone to determine the extent of Mallik’s alleged connection with the TTP. The investigation will also look into whether he took any concrete steps towards travelling to Afghanistan, joining the group or planning attacks.
