Terror Links Case: Sayeeda Begum Recruited 42 Women For Jihad

Vijayawada: The police have concluded in the terrorisim linked case that fifth accused Sayeeda Begum took on her the responsibility to attract more women to acts of terrorism and recruited 42 women.

She did these based on the directions from her handlers, investigations showed.

In the course of the investigations after the police arrested and took five accused for five days’ custody, it emerged that the terrorists were issuing a series of instructions to Begum, encouraging her to attract women for Jihad, through social media platforms. The handlers also asked her to train the women in shooting with sniper rifles.

Begum created and maintained a WhatsApp group with the name ‘Khawateen’ and is learnt to have received instructions to attract more youth towards Islam from the Jihadi groups. Accordingly, she shared the videos of Osama bin Laden and Jakir Naik and attracted some women towards terrorism, police said.

“She also created 40 Instagram accounts and posted Jihadi videos on them to attract youths towards the ideology of Jihad.”

“Arrangements were made by the handlers to provide weapons training to the recruits after giving them religious training in madarasas,” police said.

The police seized a large number of PDF format fies in the WhatsApp and Instagram accounts created and maintained by the A-5. They gave details on the making of explosives by use of black powder.

A bail petition would be filed in a city court on Thursday on behalf of Sayeeda Begum, who was currently serving judicial custody in the Central Prison on Rajamahendravaram. She completed five days of police custody.