Tension in the city as locals protest the raid and arrest of the respected online teacher
Team Clarion
NEW DELHI – A National Investigation Agency (NIA) team raided the house of Mufti Khalid Nadvi, a respected teacher from Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, in connection with an ongoing investigation into foreign funding. The raid, which took place in the early hours of Thursday, has sparked intense local protests, with Khalid’s supporters surrounding the NIA team and preventing them from taking him into custody.
Khalid, who is reportedly involved in teaching children both in India and abroad through online religious classes, is accused of receiving foreign funding. The NIA’s investigation is focused on whether money has been funnelled into his accounts from international sources under suspicious circumstances. The raid was part of a broader effort by local authorities and various investigating agencies to address allegations of foreign funding linked to religious education.
The raid took place in Mukaryana Mohalla, a locality in Jhansi’s Kotwali area, around 2.30 am. The NIA team, along with the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS), conducted a thorough search of Khalid’s residence, scrutinising documents, electronic devices, and even his personal phone and bank statements. It is said that during their questioning, Khalid was asked about his connections with certain foreign individuals and organisations, including inquiries about his contacts and WhatsApp groups.
However, as soon as the NIA team attempted to take Khalid into custody, a large crowd gathered outside his house, having been alerted by an announcement from the local mosque. “When the NIA team tried to take Mufti Khalid, his supporters grew agitated, and they forcibly freed him from the team’s custody,” said a local police officer. The escalating tensions prompted the deployment of additional police forces in the area.
The situation grew more chaotic when a crowd of over 200 people surrounded the NIA officers. The crowd argued with the team, pushing back their attempts to take Khalid away. Despite the resistance, the NIA managed to secure Khalid’s custody after some time, but not before an intense confrontation. “The crowd didn’t listen to us and physically obstructed the team. We had to call in reinforcements,” another police official explained.
Khalid is the nephew of Shahar Qazi, a prominent figure in the local Muslim community. He has been involved in online teaching for over a decade, and his classes reportedly cater to the Indian and Non-Resident Indian (NRI) students. In a statement following the raid, Khalid said, “At around 2:30-3 o’clock in the night, people from NIA Delhi knocked on my door. They thoroughly searched the whole house and did not find anything. Whatever books they found suspicious, they took them. They took documents like my passport and old visa of Saudi Arabia. They checked my phone and inquired about my WhatsApp contacts and groups. They also asked about Muhammad Ilyas Ghuman, and checked my bank statements.”
He further added that the NIA team had questioned him about his online coaching activities and the alleged foreign funding, but they had not yet provided him with any official reasons for the raid.
Local residents, many of whom are supportive of Khalid, have expressed outrage over what they view as an unjustified intrusion into the life of a community leader. “He has been teaching for over 10 years without any issues. This action is unwarranted,” said one resident, speaking on condition of anonymity. “We believe the NIA is targeting him for no reason other than his religious work.”
This raid is part of a series of investigations being conducted by the NIA into suspected terror funding activities, including efforts to dismantle financial networks that allegedly support extremist propaganda. The NIA’s spokesperson confirmed that the agency is probing these claims in Jhansi and other areas in Uttar Pradesh. Meanwhile, the NIA is also conducting raids in Jammu and Kashmir as part of the same investigation into terror funding linked to international radicalisation networks.
“Raids are ongoing,” an NIA spokesperson said. “We will share more details once the investigation progresses.”
Shahar Qazi, the prominent community leader and Khalid’s uncle, voiced his concerns over the actions of the NIA. “Mufti Khalid Nadvi is my nephew, and he teaches Quran and Urdu to children from around the world. The NIA came at 3 o’clock in the night. They interrogated him but found nothing. After that, they said they would take him to the police line for questioning. The people here said that if he had done nothing wrong, there’s no need to take him away. We demand justice and the best possible solution.”
Shahar Qazi further explained, “Khalid has been teaching online for more than 10 years. They have taken away his computer and other teaching materials. This is an attack on his work.”
As the investigation continues, the NIA is focusing on the source of the alleged foreign funds and whether any illicit activities are connected to Khalid’s online education business. While Khalid and his supporters have expressed frustration over the lack of transparency, the investigation is ongoing, with authorities continuing to scrutinise the seized documents and electronic devices.
The raid has sparked a heated debate in the region, with some seeing it as an unjust targeting of a religious educator, while others believe it is part of a necessary crackdown on foreign-funded extremist activities. With heavy police presence in the area, the situation remains tense, and the local community is awaiting further developments.
The NIA’s statement regarding the raid and the broader investigation is still pending, but authorities have assured the public that they are committed to uncovering the truth behind the foreign funding claims and ensuring national security.
As of now, Mufti Khalid remains in police custody for further questioning, while the investigation into the foreign funding case continues to unfold.
