Bhilwara: In a case that has shaken cybercrime investigators and national security agencies alike, 23-year-old Mohammed Sohail Bhishti, a youth from Bhilwara, Rajasthan, was cunningly manipulated by Pakistani terror operatives through online gaming platforms into joining anti-national activities.
The Rajasthan Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) revealed that Sohail’s journey into radicalism began innocuously enough: playing the multiplayer online game Free Fire. However, it didn’t remain just a game. Through in-game chats, he came into contact with individuals who slowly introduced him to radical content. What began as casual interaction eventually escalated into full-fledged indoctrination.
According to ATS, Sohail was brainwashed and lured into a digital web of over 60 encrypted messaging groups on platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal. These groups were administered from Pakistan, Nepal, and Bangladesh and were used to spread extremist propaganda, including material glorifying the Taliban and other jihadist movements.
Authorities say Sohail operated under multiple aliases online, the most prominent being “Mujahid Mian”. Using fake SIM cards and burner phones, he ran several social media handles on platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter), where he uploaded and circulated inflammatory and communal content. These included morphed videos related to Babri Masjid, the Amravati riots, and visuals intended to fuel religious hatred.
Most shockingly, Sohail wasn’t just a passive disseminator. He received remote training in bomb-making, strategic messaging, and ways to avoid digital surveillance. Handlers taught him how to erase data trails and how to communicate using coded language. All this training occurred virtually no in-person meeting was ever required.
The ATS arrested Sohail in September 2023, and after extensive digital forensics, charged him under multiple sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Indian Penal Code. His trial is scheduled to begin on July 16, 2025, in a high-security courtroom.
This case is not an isolated event, officials warn. It reflects a disturbing trend of online radicalization, where terror networks are increasingly targeting vulnerable youth through gaming platforms, chatrooms, and encrypted communication tools. Games like Free Fire and PUBG are being used not just for entertainment but as digital entry points to extremist ideology.
Security agencies now emphasize the need for heightened digital surveillance, collaboration with gaming companies, and awareness campaigns for families. The case of Sohail Bhishti is a stark reminder that terrorism has found a new front inside smartphones and gaming apps.
Parents, educators, and tech regulators are being urged to keep a watchful eye, as Pakistan-based terror groups continue to exploit technology to infiltrate Indian society and corrupt impressionable minds with toxic ideology, all under the illusion of a harmless game.