Bengaluru: A Bengaluru-born engineering graduate, who allegedly fled India after being named in a 2012 terror conspiracy case, has been included in the Union Ministry of Home Affairs’ (MHA) latest list of 23 designated terrorists.

The individual, Mohammed Shahid Faisal, alias Zakir Ustad, has been accused of playing a key role in planning and coordinating terror activities linked to multiple extremist organisations.

Linked to major terror cases

According to the MHA, Faisal, now 42, is currently active from Rawalpindi, Pakistan, and is affiliated with the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Al-Qaeda, and the Islamic State (ISIS).

The ministry has identified him as an online handler behind several terror incidents in South India since 2020, including the Mangaluru auto-rickshaw blast in November 2022 and the Rameshwaram Cafe blast in Bengaluru in March 2024.

The MHA also described Faisal as the alleged mastermind behind the 2012 Bengaluru LeT conspiracy case and the 2013 Nanded LeT case, which involved alleged plots targeting right-wing leaders and journalists.

From engineering graduate to wanted terror suspect

Originally from a family that had settled in Bengaluru after moving from Kerala, Faisal graduated in computer science engineering from a private engineering college in north Bengaluru.

Investigators said he earned a reputation as a skilled computer expert and hacker during his college years before allegedly becoming radicalised through local and online influences.

According to the MHA, Faisal fled to Pakistan in 2013 with the assistance of wanted terror suspect Farhatullah Ghori, who is also his father-in-law and an accused in the 2012 Bengaluru terror conspiracy case.

Centre updates terror list

The MHA’s updated list of designated terrorists is aimed at strengthening action against individuals accused of involvement in terror activities and facilitating legal measures against them under Indian law.

Security agencies continue to monitor terror networks operating from across the border and their alleged links to incidents in India.