Police in Raichur arrested Mohammed Sahil after tracing his contact with a social media handle called Rana Bhai. Investigators say the exchange included offers of money and a pistol, while the account pushed provocative content.
A 24-year-old tea stall owner has been arrested in Karnataka’s Raichur after police found he was in contact with a foreign contact operating social media accounts under the name “Rana Bhai”, who encouraged him to create unrest in India and offered money and a pistol.
Mohammed Sahil was arrested after the police’s Social Media Monitoring Cell flagged his online activity.
Authorities said Sahil had been following and interacting with an Instagram account identified as “Rana Bhai” and had also been communicating with the person through WhatsApp.
According to the FIR, Sahil had contacted the Instagram account using his profile “sahill_bhaii_” on July 14. After an initial exchange, he asked the person behind the account whether he could arrange a pistol for him.
The account responded by sharing a WhatsApp number and asking Shahil to provide his number.
Police said Sahil saved the number under the name “Rana Bhai” and had exchanged messages and voice communications with the person.
He had also sent a photograph of his tea stall to the contact.
The FIR further says that the person repeatedly encouraged Sahil to create unrest in India and promised to provide money as well as the pistol he had requested.
The complaint further claims that Sahil asked the contact whether he had approached other perople for similar activities, to which the person allegedly replied that he had not.
During questioning, he told police that “Rana Bhai” was from an Arab nation.