From IT Job to ATS Custody: Pune Techie’s Alleged Online Terror Connection
Pune, 29th October 2025: The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has arrested a 37-year-old software engineer, Zubair Hangargekar, on charges of possessing literature linked to the banned terrorist organization al-Qaida. Investigators said Hangargekar allegedly came in contact with members of the group through online channels in 2019.
A senior ATS official, requesting anonymity, said the suspect’s laptop contained detailed documents related to the use of AK-47 rifles and bomb-making techniques published in an al-Qaida magazine. “Our preliminary probe indicates that he had been accessing extremist material for some time. The content found on his device promotes the ideology and operational methods of the organization,” the officer said.
According to officials, Hangargekar had been frequenting certain areas in Kondhwa over the past few years, where he interacted with several youngsters. Investigators suspect he may have been in contact with individuals linked to different terror modules, including those associated with Al-Shabaab and groups operating out of Padgha in Thane and Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh.
The ATS also questioned Hangargekar’s wife on Tuesday. Officers said she appeared unaware of her husband’s alleged activities. Hangargekar, who worked at a private software company in Kalyaninagar, was reportedly earning an annual salary of around ₹25 lakh.
Officials said he was detained at Pune railway station on Monday after returning from Chennai with a friend. His laptop was among 19 electronic devices seized during a coordinated ATS raid on October 9, when the agency also confiscated around 40 mobile phones from multiple Pune locations. All seized devices have been sent for detailed digital forensic examination.
An ATS official added, “The investigation is focused on identifying his network and verifying whether there was any direct operational link or recruitment attempt. So far, there is no indication of any planned attack, but we are analyzing all digital evidence.”
