2 more arrested in Bijnor over ‘anti-national’ activities; 6 held so far

Bijnor: Two more persons have been arrested for alleged anti-national activities linked to objectionable social media posts and illegal arms use, officials said on Saturday, taking the total number of arrests in the case to six. The arrested accused are Zulfiqar alias Raka from Sahibpura Ratan village and Arif Malik from Khaikhedi village.

The case began on Nov 23, 2025, after a purported video surfaced on Instagram showing a man, Aqib, allegedly displaying weapons during a live session. “Arif told police that Aqib had earlier tried to recruit him into a criminal group and had carried out firing outside his house to pressure him. He later got in touch with Aqib through social media,” an official said.

“Zulfiqar told police he had been working as a barber in Tamil Nadu and had been in contact with Aqib online for the past two years,” the official added.

SP Abhishek Jha said the video was later shared on another accused Majul’s social media account. During the probe, police identified four more suspects - Majul, Aqib, Azad and Ubaid Malik.

Police have already arrested Ubaid Malik, Jalal Haider, Sameer alias Ruhan and Majul. Lookout notices have been issued against Aqib and Azad, who are believed to be in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, respectively.