Radical speeches, jihadist sermons: How Bengaluru woman ‘spread’ Al-Qaeda propaganda on social media

Shama Parveen Ansari, a 30-year-old woman originally from Jharkhand who had been living in Bengaluru for the past three years, was arrested this week for allegedly spreading extremist content online linked to
Al-Qaeda in India.

The Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) arrested her from her rented flat in Hebbal’s Manorayanapalya on Tuesday, following which she was brought to Gujarat on a transit remand.

Parveen, 30, who was residing with her younger brother, had no formal employment and lived a quiet, low-profile life, but behind the scenes, she was allegedly amplifying jihadist propaganda through social media.

But how did a seemingly ordinary woman from Bengaluru got involved with one of the most dangerous terror networks in the world? and How did the Gujarat ATS track her down? Here’s what we know.

How Shama Ansari ‘spread’ Al-Qaeda propaganda

According to the Gujarat ATS, Ansari was using two Facebook pages and an Instagram account with over 10,000 followers to share radical sermons, speeches, and anti-India content inspired by the banned terror outfit Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS).

Officials claim her posts promoted extremist ideology and called on followers to support jihadist causes. Some of the content was allegedly aimed at inciting violence and creating religious tension.

“She may not have been handling weapons, but she was handling narratives—and that’s equally dangerous today,” an ATS officer told The Times of India.

Authorities also believe Ansari played an active role in spreading propaganda rather than merely endorsing it. Her digital presence, they say, was part of a larger online ecosystem that amplifies extremist content.

The ATS says she was linked to one of the four men arrested in a recent multi-state operation that exposed a broader terror network that allegedly disseminated extremist content, including videos promoting AQIS ideology through social media platforms.

She is Shama Parveen, 30 years old Shama completed her graduation..

She was handling social media accounts who were giving information about Al Qaida & influence youths..

She was part of few Pakistani what’s app groups..

Today Gujrat ATS arrested her from Banglore.. pic.twitter.com/Lkc1PQD4Yo

— Trupti Garg (@garg_trupti) July 30, 2025

However, sources told The Print that the group may have been radicalised without ever coming into contact with any active AQIS operatives. The probe is still in its early stages.

AQIS was officially formed in September 2014, when then al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri appointed Pakistan-based Asim Umar as its head. The outfit aimed to expand al-Qaeda’s reach in the region, with areas like Bangladesh, Myanmar, Assam, Gujarat, and Kashmir marked as their focus zones.

Ansari, according to investigators, used social media to circulate calls for an “armed revolution or jihad” against the Indian government. Following her arrest, she was brought to Gujarat on a transit warrant for further questioning.

How the Gujarat ATS tracked her down

According to The Print, the case first came to light on June 10, when Gujarat ATS Deputy Superintendent of Police Harsh Upadhyay received intelligence about five Instagram accounts allegedly sharing Al-Qaeda propaganda videos to radicalise youth.

The content on these accounts reportedly included videos promoting Ghazwa-e-Hind, calls for violence against “non-believers” (kafirs), and even clips featuring Maulana Abdul Aziz of Pakistan’s Lal Masjid, urging an armed uprising to dismantle the Indian government.

As the investigation progressed, ATS arrested four individuals last week—Fardeen Shaikh from Ahmedabad, Saifulla Qureshi from Modasa (both in Gujarat), Mohammad Faiq from Delhi’s Chandni Chowk, and Zeeshan Ali from Noida in Uttar Pradesh.

Officials say one of the suspects, Mohammad Faiq, was allegedly working in coordination with Pakistan-based Instagram accounts named “gujjar_sab.111” and “M Salauddin Siddiqui 1360” to target the Indian government. One of the devices seized during the raids also reportedly contained AQIS literature calling for jihad in response to
‘Operation Sindoor’.

During questioning, Faiq allegedly told investigators that many of the propaganda videos had been sourced from two Facebook pages and an Instagram account, believed to be operated by Shama Parveen Ansari.

Following this lead, a Gujarat ATS team, working with central agencies and the local police, tracked Ansari to her residence in RT Nagar in Bengaluru and arrested her.

The ATS is now probing the extent of her influence, the reach of her social media content, and whether she was part of a larger network.

With input from agencies