In a dramatic turn of events that has stirred echoes of past terror probes, Maharashtra’s Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on Monday swooped down on Padgha village in Thane district. Among the locations raided was the residence of Saquib Nachan, a former office-bearer of the now-banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI)—a group once notorious for its radical Islamist agenda.
Sources confirmed that the ATS, backed by Thane rural police, launched the operation early in the morning. While details remain closely guarded, officials stated that the raids were part of an ongoing terrorism-related investigation, and several “identified individuals” are under scrutiny.
“We are trying to find out if something is wrong there (in Padgha),” an official remarked, hinting at possible suspicious activity without revealing further specifics.
This is not the first time Padgha has come under the anti-terror radar. In 2023, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had cracked down on ISIS-linked suspects in the same village, leading to multiple arrests—including that of Nachan himself.
The renewed focus on Padgha suggests that investigators may be tracking the revival or remnants of dormant terror networks.
