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Mumbai: The arrest of 19-year-old engineering student Ayan Yusuf Shaikh by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has shocked his family and raised serious concerns from his legal team about the evidence and procedures in the case.

Shaikh, a second-year Computer Engineering student at Kalsekar College in Mumbra, was taken into custody on the evening of March 4, 2026. Investigators claim that his social media activity and digital materials suggest exposure to “extremist ideology”.

However, Shaikh’s family and legal team argue that the case relies mostly on assumptions rather than solid evidence. They say the circumstances of both the arrest and the following court procedures raise serious questions about due process.

For Shaikh’s father, Yusuf Shaikh, the arrest has come as a devastating blow. The 46-year-old said the family had previously faced police inquiries but thought the matter had ended there. About a year earlier, police came to the area looking for Ayan and asked an informer about him. At that time, the family believed that if their son had done nothing wrong, the authorities wouldn’t take any action. Yet, despite that belief, the arrest has left the family in shock. Ayan was just a student, not a known political or public figure.

Allegations based on digital material

The ATS claim is that Shaikh was active on platforms like Telegram, WhatsApp and Instagram, where he supposedly engaged in discussions about political and religious issues. According to his remand application, authorities found several texts on his digital devices that, the ATS says, are ideologically motivated or linked to militant interpretations of Islam.

Among the titles listed in the warrant are Kashmir Kifah, a hadith related to Ghazwa, “Revolutionary Resurgence”, “The Method of Establishing Khilafah”, “English Jihad in Islam” and “Fazail-e-Jihad”, a work attributed to Masood Azhar. Authorities argue that possessing or sharing this literature suggests exposure to radical propaganda.

The ATS has alleged that Shaikh might have been influenced by or connected to the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM)........

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