Top News

In a major breakthrough, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday extradited two key accused in the ISIS Pune module case, Abdul Fayaz Sheikh and Talha Liyakat Khan, from Oman. A team from the NIA arrived in Mumbai early Saturday morning with both accused in custody. The duo had fled the country in 2022 to evade arrest and were subsequently declared fugitives by the agency, which had announced a cash reward of Rs 3 lakh each for information leading to their capture. 

Officials confirmed that the extradition was secured after months of legal coordination between Indian authorities and their counterparts in Oman. Upon their arrival in India, Sheikh and Khan were immediately taken into NIA custody. They are expected to be produced before a special NIA court shortly.

About The Case

According to investigators, the two had orchestrated a well-planned escape after the ISIS module operating out of Pune was busted in 2022. That operation led to multiple arrests, including Shamil Nachan son of convicted terrorist Saquib Nachan  who was identified as the Amir-e-Hind (Chief of ISIS in India).   

Sources said both the accused left the country along with their families in 2022. Talha Khan’s wife and infant daughter departed for Oman on May 2, followed by Khan himself on August 12. Similarly, Fayaz Sheikh’s wife and two children travelled to Oman on June 12, while Sheikh left on July 15. Their coordinated escape with their families complicated the investigation and necessitated sustained international cooperation. 

The accused were actively involved in propagating the violent and extremist ideology of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and in carrying out acts preparatory to terrorist violence, including recruiting individuals for the organization. They had also taken an oath of allegiance (Bayat) to the self-styled Khalifa (leader) of ISIS.  

According to the NIA chargesheet, the investigation into the ISIS Pune terror module uncovered a secret workshop for the fabrication, creation, and testing of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) held at a shop owned by accused Fayaz Sheikh. Sheikh, widely known as “Diaperwala” for running a diaper store in Pune’s Kondhwa area, hosted the clandestine session in April 2022.All members of the Pune ISIS terror module including arrested accused Zulfikar Ali Barodawala, Mohammed Imran Khan, Mohammed Yunus Saki, Simab Nasiruddin Kazi, and Abdul Kadir Pathan, among others reportedly participated in the workshop.   

Arrested accused Shamil Nachan and Akif Nachan traveled to Pune carrying explosive chemicals and processed powder to participate in the IED manufacturing and training exercise. The duo stayed overnight at Sheikh’s residence along with the explosive materials during their visit.  

Another suspected absconding accused, Talha Liyakat Khan, is also a resident of Pune and is associated with Fayaz Sheikh (Diaperwala). He too is believed to be a participant in the ISIS Maharashtra terror module and played a major role in organizing the IED workshop.

According to reliable sources, both Fayaz Sheikh and Talha Liyakat Khan were radicalized and, under the instructions of the Ratlam-based ISIS terror module, "Al Sufa," mastermind and arrested accused Imran Khan arranged the IED workshop and invited other terror suspects to participate. Once intelligence confirmed their presence in Oman, the NIA initiated extradition proceedings through the Ministry of External Affairs, sharing all necessary documentation and case files with Omani authorities. Officials believe that their custody and interrogation will help unravel the full extent of the ISIS-linked network and the group’s operational plans in Maharashtra and beyond.  

According to the official sources, “Their return is a crucial step forward in dismantling the local ISIS module. Their roles were central to both planning and execution stages of the terror conspiracy.”

The case forms part of a broader investigation into ISIS modules operating in India, with several arrests already made and multiple digital devices, explosive materials, and radical literature seized during raids.