The Rajasthan Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), acting on vital intelligence inputs from Military Intelligence, arrested 37-year-old Babita Dhakar on June 20, 2026, in the Vatika area of Sanganer, Jaipur, for her suspected role as a sleeper cell asset for the Pakistan-based terror organisation Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). Investigators reveal that Dhakar, who operated online under the alias “Khadija,” underwent digital radicalisation, communicating with numbers linked to Pakistan and associates of known terror commanders.
While the ATS focuses on reconstructing deleted mobile data to understand the depth of her network, local community members express shock over her digital transformation. Dhakar remains in ATS custody until June 27, 2026, under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), marking a critical interception by state security agencies before she could be physically extracted from the country.
The Profile: From Isolation to Exploitation
Babita Dhakar, originally a native of the Sawai Madhopur/Gangapur City region, had been living a quiet life in Jaipur. According to investigative sources, she had faced personal isolation following a marital separation a few years ago. Turning to digital spaces for connection, her prolonged presence on social media platforms inadvertently exposed her to predatory extremist networks operating across the border.
Over an extended period, foreign handlers systematically targeted Dhakar, bombarding her with radical propaganda designed to alienate her from her homeland. Security officials state that this intensive online grooming culminated in a digital conversion ceremony conducted over a phone call by a Pakistani cleric, where she took the name “Khadija” to mask her identity and dive deeper into extremist circles.
The Network: Links to Darker Plots
When Military Intelligence and the Rajasthan ATS flagged her highly suspicious online activities, they uncovered a digital footprint that extended remarkably close to prominent terror figures. Under the leadership of ATS SP Manish Tripathi, the agency placed her under surveillance and subsequently executed the arrest under stringent anti-terror laws.
A forensic analysis of her seized mobile devices revealed that she was utilizing multiple SIM cards and encrypted communication apps like WhatsApp to maintain direct contact with Pakistani handlers. Shockingly, the initial probe suggests these communication lines trace back to networks associated with notorious JeM figures. Among these are operators linked to Qari Zarar the commander behind the tragic 2016 Nagrota Army camp attack—and links connected to Yusuf Azhar, who was involved in the infamous 1999 Indian Airlines IC-814 hijacking.
The Strategy: The Looming Plan for Extraction
The ATS noted that while Dhakar had not yet been deployed to execute a physical attack or kinetic operation within India, she was actively being maintained as a vital sleeper cell component, poised for future instructions.
Security agencies chose to intervene precisely as her handlers began coordinating the next phase of her deployment. Preliminary findings reveal that Dhakar had expressed a strong desire to relocate to Pakistan. Her handlers had allegedly promised her safe passage out of India, drawing up a multi-country transit route that would ferry her through Nepal, Saudi Arabia, or the UAE, before eventually reaching Pakistan.
The Ongoing Probe and Local Aftermath
The arrest has sent ripples through the local neighborhood in Jaipur, where residents knew her only as a quiet neighbor, completely unaware of the digital double life she maintained.
The police custody window, which lasts until June 27, 2026, is currently being treated as standard operational time to counter her attempts at non-cooperation. Just prior to her apprehension, Dhakar managed to delete a vast amount of digital data and messaging history. Cyber forensic experts are working around the clock to retrieve these deleted chats, identify potential local accomplices she might have tried to recruit, and trace the definitive IP locations of her overseas handlers.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
This unsettling development exposes the modern, invisible boundaries of national security, where the battle lines have moved from physical borders straight into vulnerable personal spaces via smartphone screens. While we stand firmly with our security forces in their relentless duty to maintain national integrity and protect innocent lives, this incident must also serve as a collective wake-up call for society. Radicalisation thrives in isolation, feeding on personal grievances, alienation, and loneliness.
To build a truly resilient nation, our response cannot rely solely on legal measures and surveillance; it demands a cultural shift towards community vigilance, empathy, and active digital literacy. We must foster inclusive support systems that prevent vulnerable individuals from slipping through the cracks of loneliness into the waiting arms of online extremists. True harmony and peaceful coexistence are achieved when we look out for one another in both the physical and digital worlds, ensuring that dialogue and kindness triumph over divisive hatred.
VIDEO | Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) investigates alleged links of a Jaipur woman being in contact with members of Jaish-e-Mohammed.
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 24, 2026
Rajasthan ATS Superintendent of Police (SP) Manish Tripathi says, "Based on the primary information we have so far, there is one potential… pic.twitter.com/UXwhBGEeyX
