Bengaluru: Bengaluru police have arrested a 25-year-old man from West Bengal over his alleged links with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and suspected plans to travel to Afghanistan, officials said. The arrest was made on August 11 by Hebbagodi police, with the case now under investigation.
According to reports by NDTV and Times of India, the accused has been identified as Asafool Mallik, with his name also spelt as Asaful or Asfaul Mallick in some reports.
Who Is The Accused?
Mallik is a native of Naopara village in North 24 Parganas district, West Bengal. He had been living near APC Circle in Jigani, Bengaluru, and was working as a security guard in the Jigani Industrial Area since December 2025.
Police detained him in the Bommasandra Industrial Area after receiving information about his alleged suspicious online activities.
How Did Police Trace The Alleged TTP Link?
According to police statements cited by NDTV, Mallik allegedly came in contact with an Afghan national identified as Imran Haider through Facebook. Police suspect the individual to be associated with the TTP.
Investigators reportedly recovered chats, voice calls and audio conversations from Mallik’s mobile phone. These communications allegedly indicated that he was seeking assistance to travel to Afghanistan.
Alleged Plan To Travel To Afghanistan
Police allege that Mallik had obtained a passport and applied for a visa as part of his reported plans to travel to Afghanistan.
According to the police account reported by NDTV, he allegedly expressed an intention to join the group and carry out retaliatory actions against the Pakistan Army over what he perceived as atrocities against Muslims, mosques and civilians in Pakistan.
Police also alleged that his online conversations included references to the Israel-Palestine conflict and calls for retaliation if Muslims faced difficulties in India.
Travel Plan Reportedly Abandoned
Despite allegedly making preparations for the journey, Mallik reportedly did not travel to Afghanistan.
According to the police account, he abandoned the plan because of financial difficulties and family responsibilities.
The investigation is now focused on establishing the nature and extent of his alleged contacts and whether he had any further links to extremist networks.
Case Registered Under BNS
A case has been registered at Hebbagodi police station under Section 113(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), relating to terrorist acts and associated activities, according to reports by the Times of India.
Police have seized his mobile phone and are examining the contents as part of the investigation.
Investigation Underway
The allegations against Mallik are based on the police investigation and statements reported by media outlets. The matter remains under investigation, and the allegations have not been established in court.
Reports have also differed slightly on his age and the spelling of his name, with most identifying him as 25 and some reports giving a different age.
