A 20-year-old migrant worker from Uttar Pradesh has been arrested in Karnataka's Davanagere over suspected terror links and alleged contacts with people in Pakistan, police said on Wednesday.
The suspect, Suhail, had recently arrived in Harihar taluk and was working as a painter. Authorities said he had been staying in a rented home and reached the area around two weeks ago in search of employment.
He was arrested on Tuesday by the Harihara Rural Police in coordination with intelligence officials after receiving inputs from the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Officials subsequently handed him over to the concerned investigating agency for further examination.
According to investigators, material suspected to be linked to terror-related activities was recovered from the accused's WhatsApp account. Preliminary findings also suggest that he had been communicating with multiple individuals based in Pakistan.
The development comes amid heightened security scrutiny in Karnataka following the arrest of two other suspects on June 4 from Tumakuru and Davangere districts.
Karnataka home minister Priyank Kharge confirmed the arrest and said the suspect had come to the state looking for work before attracting the attention of investigators.
