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The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) is currently probing Zubair Hangargekar, a 37-year-old software engineer based in Pune, after discovering international contact numbers -- including one from Pakistan -- along with terror-related content on his mobile devices. Hangargekar, who works for a private IT company and earns ₹22 lakh per year, was taken into custody on October 27 under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) due to suspected connections with Al-Qaida.
A special UAPA court in Pune has prolonged his police detention until November 14.
International Numbers from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the Gulf Discovered
The ATS informed the court that they found five international numbers -- one from Pakistan, two from Saudi Arabia, one from Kuwait, and one from Oman -- on one of Hangargekar's older cellphones, which was confiscated from the home of his associate, Feroz Pathan. Another phone he was using had one number from Oman and four from Saudi Arabia.
Although no international calls were detected in the call detail records (CDRs), Hangargekar reportedly could not provide convincing reasons for storing those numbers, according to special public prosecutor Vijay Fargade.
Investigators have also extracted over 1 terabyte (TB) of data from his laptops, phones, and hard drives.
Osama Bin Laden's Speech and Bomb-Making Magazine Discovered
The ATS stated that they found an Urdu translation of Osama Bin Laden's speech and a copy of "Inspire Magazine" on his devices. This magazine purportedly included information about the "OSJ Gun School," featuring images of AK-47 rifle training, as well as a section labeled "OSJ Bomb School" detailing how to create acetone peroxide-based IEDs.
A technical report regarding these materials, compiled by the High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL) -- a DRDO facility located in Pune -- was presented to the court on November 3.
Quiz Competition Under Investigation
The agency is currently looking into Hangargekar's involvement in the "Sirat-un-Nabi" quiz competition, which was organized by Wahdat-e-Islami. He is alleged to have assisted in creating question papers and selecting winners. The ATS believes this event may have been utilized to pinpoint or radicalize potential recruits.
A list of associates, which includes an Urdu PhD scholar and a former NDA lecturer who was previously arrested under the Arms Act, has been presented to the court.
To date, the ATS has confiscated 12 mobile phones, six laptops, four hard drives, two pen drives, and one SIM card from Hangargekar and his associates.
Financial Connections Under Investigation
The ATS is also probing Hangargekar's financial dealings. Officials suspect he may have been collecting funds for activities related to terrorism, as his QR code was discovered at various lecture venues. Numerous books, reports, and digital materials have also been taken into custody.
Hangargekar, who resides in Kondhwa Khurd, lives in Pune with his wife and child. He originates from Solapur district and is characterized as a highly educated software engineer.
Court Ensures Accused's Welfare
During the court proceedings, Hangargekar stated that he was not experiencing mistreatment but expressed concerns about sleep deprivation due to ongoing interrogations. The court instructed the ATS to guarantee that the accused gets sufficient rest while in custody to protect his mental health.